Association between apelin-12 and creatine kinase-MB, depending on success of reperfusion in STEMI patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction is characterised by an imbalance in the supply and demand of oxygen in the heart. It requires urgent reperfusion, and poor outcomes are attributed to myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. We aimed to evaluate the association between apelin-12 levels and creatine kinase-MB activity in predicting the effectiveness of reperfusion therapy in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. METHODS: In this study we included 72 patients with the following criteria: chest pain suggestive of myocardial ischaemia for at least 30 minutes, an electrocardiogram with ST-segment elevation (measured at the J-point) ≥ 2 mm in leads V2-V3 and/or ≥ 1 mm in the other leads, rise of specific biomarkers such as cardiac troponin and the MB fraction of creatine kinase (CK-MB), and those who underwent reperfusion therapy. Blood samples for the measurement of apelin-12 and creatine kinase-MB were collected 12 hours after the reperfusion therapy. RESULTS: In patients with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade ≤ 2, the median of the apelin-12 level was 1.80 ng/ml (0.46-9.20), and with TIMI flow 3, it was 5.76 ng/ml (1.14-15.2). Variability was observed in the apelin values (Mann-Whitney test) based on TIMI flow grade (p < 0.001), while no variability was observed for creatine kinase-MB (p < 0.18). The degree of association between apelin-12 and creatine kinase-MB levels was analysed with Pearson's correlation, enabling us to determine patients with successful reperfusion (determined as TIMI flow 3) (p < 0.004), and those with unsuccessful reperfusion (with TIMI flow ≤ 2) (p = 0.86). CONCLUSION: In STEMI patients undergoing reperfusion therapy, Apelin-12 level was associated with creatine kinase-MB activity according to the success of the reperfusion.

The Relationship of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and Asymmetrical Dimethylarginine as a Biomarker of Endothelial Dysfunction with Cardiovascular Risk Assessed by Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation2 Algorithm and Heart Failure-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, causing endothelial dysfunction (ED) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), contribute to an increased risk of heart failure (HF). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the occurrence of LVDD and ED with CV risk assessed by the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation2 (SCORE2) algorithm and HF. Methods: In the period from November 2019 to May 2022, a cross-sectional study that included 178 middle-aged adults was conducted. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was used to assess left ventricular (LV) diastolic and systolic function. ED was assessed using the plasma values of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and was determined using the ELISA method. Results: The majority of subjects with LVDD grades 2 and 3 had high/very high SCORE2, developed HF and all were taking medication (p < 0.001). They also had significantly lowest plasma ADMA values (p < 0.001). We found that the reduction of ADMA concentration is influenced by certain groups of drugs, or more significantly, by their combinations (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In our study, we confirmed a positive correlation between LVDD, HF and SCORE2 severity. The results showed a negative correlation between the biomarkers of ED, LVDD severity, HF, and SCORE2, which we believe is due to medication effects.

Heart transplantation as salvage treatment of intractable infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: For infective endocarditis (IE) with extensive perivalvular lesions or end-stage cardiac failure, heart transplantation (HT) may be the last resort. METHODS: We retrospectively collected all cases of HT for IE within the International Collaboration on Endocarditis (ICE) network. RESULTS: Between 1991 and 2021, 20 patients (5 women, 15 men), median age 50 years [interquartile range, 29-61], underwent HT for IE in Spain (n = 9), France (n = 6), Switzerland (n = 2), Colombia, Croatia, and USA (n = 1). IE affected prosthetic (n = 10), and native valves (n = 10), primarily aortic (n = 11) and mitral (n = 6). The main pathogens were oral streptococci (n = 8), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 5), and Enterococcus faecalis (n = 2). The major complications included heart failure (n = 18), peri-annular abscess (n = 10), and prosthetic valve dehiscence (n = 4). Eighteen patients had previous cardiac surgery for this episode of IE, and four were on circulatory support before HT (left ventricular assist-device and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, 2 patients each). The median time interval between first symptoms of IE and HT was 44.5 days [22-91.5]. The main post-HT complication was acute rejection (n = 6). Seven patients died (35%), four during the first month post-HT. Thirteen (81%) of the 16 patients discharged from the hospital survived with a median follow-up of 35.5 months [4-96.5] after HT, and no relapse of IE. CONCLUSIONS: IE is not an absolute contraindication for HT: Our case series and the literature review support that HT may be considered as a salvage treatment in highly-selected patients with intractable IE.

ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN A 58-YEAR-OLD FEMALE WITH ANOMALOUS ORIGIN OF THE LEFT CORONARY ARTERY FROM THE RIGHT SINUS OF VALSALVA.

We report a case of a 58-year-old female with a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes type 2, who was admitted to the coronary care unit with continuous substernal severe chest pain persisting for two hours. Her electrocardiogram showed ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction. ST-segment elevation was noted in leads I and aVL and ST-segment depression in leads II, III and V3-V5. The troponin-I level was elevated (1.97 ng/L). Coronary angiography showed anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva and subocclusion in the proximal portion of the diagonal branch. In conclusion, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of diagonal branch was performed with balloon dilatation and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction TIMI 3 flow was achieved. After PCI, she had no chest pain. At 5-year clinical follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic.

Understanding the association between endothelial dysfunction and left ventricle diastolic dysfunction in development of coronary artery disease and heart failure.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)  have been the most common cause of death worldwide for decades. Until recently the most affected patients were middle-aged and elderly, predominantly men, with more frequent ST elevation myocardial infarction  (STEMI) caused by obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). However, in the last two decades we have noticed an increased incidence of ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA), which includes myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) and non-myocardial infarction syndromes, such as microvascular and vasospastic angina, conditions that have been particularly pronounced in women and young adults - the population we considered low-risky till than. Therefore, it has become apparent that for this group of patients conventional methods of assessing the risk of future cardiovascular (CV) events are no longer specific and sensitive enough. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is another disease, the incidence of which has been rising rapidly during last two decades, and predominantly affects elderly population. Although the etiology and pathophysiology of INOCA and HFpEF are complex and not fully understood, there is no doubt that the underlying cause of both conditions is endothelial dysfunction (ED) which further promotes the development of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). Plasma biomarkers of ED, as well as natriuretic peptides (NPs), have been intensively investigated recently, and some of them have great potential for early detection and better assessment of CV risk in the future.

Quality of life 10 years after cardiac surgery in adults: a long-term follow-up study.

We have read the article titled "Quality of life 10 years after cardiac surgery in adults: a long-term follow-up study " by Perrotti A. et al. published in your distinguished journal with great interest. Unfortunately, we found few errors in this article.

Primary Left Atrial Angiosarcoma Presenting as Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Primary cardiac neoplasms are extremely rare and often overlooked as differential diagnosis. Angiosarcomas are the most common primary malignant neoplasms of the heart often with nonspecific symptoms. We present a 43-year-old woman admitted to our hospital with chest pain and inferoposterolateral myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography indicated the distal occlusion of the left circumflex artery. Transthoracic and transoesophagic echocardiography revealed a mass in the left atrium with probable myocardial infiltration and vascularisation. The mass in the left atrium was removed by surgical resection, and histopathology confirmed angiosarcoma. We emphasize the pivotal role of transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography in evaluating even rare differential diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome as cardiac neoplasms.

The efficacy and safety of valsartan and a combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate arterial hypertension: a subgroup analysis of the effect of valsartan and its combination with .

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of the study was to establish the effect of valsartan and combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) on pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central blood pressure (CBP) in a large population of patients with mild to moderate arterial hypertension. METHODS: This was an international, multicentre, open-label, prospective trial. After one week of washout in previously treated patients, 74 subjects were treated with valsartan or valsartan combined with HCTZ for 16 weeks according to the protocol. Naïve patients received the treatment immediately. During the active treatment, four visits were planned for each patient to obtain data for the primary and secondary efficacy. At the beginning and at the end of the study PWV and CBP were determined with central arterial pressure waveform analysis (SphygmoCor®, Atcor Medical). This study is registered with clinicaltrialsregister.eu, EudraCT number 2012-005129-57. RESULTS: The results of the present VICTORY trial showed that valsartan and combination of valsartan and HCTZ effectively reduced the brachial blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate arterial hypertension as well as PWV, central systolic blood pressure and central diastolic blood pressure. The effects on the augmentation index were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Valsartan and valsartan/HCTZ improve arterial stiffness in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.

Influence of apelin-12 on troponin levels and the rate of MACE in STEMI patients.

BACKGROUND: During acute myocardial infarction, phosphorylated TnI levels, Ca2+ sensitivity and ATPase activity are decreased in the myocardium, and the subsequent elevation in Ca2+ levels activates protease I (caplain I), leading to the proteolytic degradation of troponins. Concurrently, the levels of apelin and APJ expression are increased by limiting myocardial injury. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, 100 consecutive patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction were included. Patients meeting the following criteria were included in our study: (1) continuous chest pain lasting for >30 min, (2) observation of ST-segment elevation of more than 2 mm in two adjacent leads by electrocardiography (ECG), (3) increased cardiac troponin I levels, and (4) patients who underwent reperfusion therapy. We evaluated the levels of apelin-12 and troponin I on the first and seventh days after reperfusion therapy in all patients. RESULTS: Apelin-12 was inversely correlated with troponin I levels (Spearman's correlation = -0.40) with a p value <0.001. There was variability in the apelin values on the seventh day (Kruskal-Wallis test) based on major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (p = 0.012). Using ROC curve analyses, a cut-off value of >2.2 for the association of apelin with MACE was determined, and the AUC was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.58-0.84). Survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method showed a lower rate of MACE among patients with apelin levels >2.2 (p = 0.002), and the ROC curve analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the area under the curve (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: The influence of apelin levels on troponin levels in the acute phase of STEMI is inversely correlated, whereas in the non-acute phase, low apelin values were associated with a high rate of MACE.

The efficacy and safety of valsartan and combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate arterial hypertension - the VICTORY trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of the trial was to establish the efficacy and safety of Valsacor® (valsartan) and Valsacombi® (combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide) in a wide variety of patient populations with mild to moderate arterial hypertension. METHODS: We performed an international, multicentre, open-label, prospective trial. After one week of washout in previously treated patients, the patients were treated for 16 weeks according to the protocol. Naïve patients entered the treatment period immediately. During the active treatment, four visits were planned for each patient to obtain the data for the primary and secondary efficacy endpoints analysis. The principal methods were blood pressure (BP) measurement, additionally in a subgroup of patients, assessment of erectile function. The initial dosage of valsartan 80 mg/day was titrated up to 320 mg/day to achieve the BP goal, with the addition of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) in a fixed-dose combination (FDC), if needed. RESULTS: Mean ± standard deviation changes from baseline at week 16 were -26.6 ± 10.4 mm Hg (systolic BP) and -14.8 ± 7.6 mm Hg (diastolic BP). A total of 91% of the patients treated with either valsartan or valsartan FDC achieved the BP goal. Adverse reactions were experienced by 7.1% of the patients, with the most common being headache (1.9%), palpitation (1.6%), dizziness (1.6%), and fatigue (1.6%), during the whole trial. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the VICTORY trial show that valsartan and valsartan FDC effectively reduce the BP in patients with mild to moderate arterial hypertension and have a good tolerability profile.

Dilemma in clinical diagnosis of right ventricular masses.

Detection of an intracardiac mass always represents a clinical challenge. We present a 61-year-old female patient with symptoms of New York Heart Association class III. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography revealed a hypoechogenic mass in the cavity of the dilated right ventricle (RV). Cardiac MRI described a pathologic structure of the RV free wall with pedunculated tumor in its cavity. Three months later, on a repeated echocardiography, there were three individual masses. The patient underwent surgery and the pathohistologic report demonstrated thrombotic masses. During the postoperative period, after reviewing all medical records, the conclusion was arrhythmogenic RV cardiomyopathy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:362-369, 2017.

Ventricular tachycardia: ominous sign of devastating prosthetic aortic valve dehiscence.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is the most feared complication after valve implantation. It usually results in substantial morbidity and mortality in the postoperative period. An adverse effect on the annulus can cause conduction disturbances in the atrioventricular (AV) node, resulting in a high-degree AV block. This study describes a case of PVE that predominantly presented with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, which indicated a severe clinical course of PVE caused by a significant displacement of the aortic valve prosthesis. In our opinion, a very pronounced flap valve motion of the dehisced valve probably caused, in the critical moment, coronary artery blood flow limitation by means of coronary microembolization, which produced temporary ischemia and provoked sustained ventricular tachycardia. Furthermore, disturbances of rhythm such as ventricular tachycardia in the setting of endocarditis indicate a high-risk condition and should mandate fast and thorough noninvasive diagnostic procedures to obtain correct diagnosis even in the case of mild, slowly progressing disease.

Role of echocardiography in diagnosis and management of complete papillary muscle rupture caused by myocardial infarction.

AIM: To evaluate the usefulness of echocardiography in the diagnosis of complete rupture of papillary muscle. METHODS: Transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed with the ATL 3000 HDI Ultrasound Inc (Bothell, WA, USA) with a 2.5 MHz transducer and 5-7 MHz multiplane phased array transducer. We are reporting about two patients (a 45 and a 51-year old male) with complete ruptures of papillary muscle following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). RESULTS: Both patients were previously treated with fibrinolysis in their local hospitals, 400 and 300 km, respectively, away from our hospital. Massive mitral regurgitation developed in both followed by rapid deterioration of hemodynamic state and severe heart failure, because of which both were transferred by helicopter to the Coronary Care Unit of our clinic. The diagnosis of complete papillary muscle rupture was confirmed in both patients by TTE and TEE. Due to the significant deterioration in their hemodynamic state, vasoactive drugs and intra-aortic balloon pump support were applied. Both patients then underwent mitral valve replacement, accompanied by concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting in one case. CONCLUSION: Transesophageal echocardiography is a more accurate and rapid diagnostic method in patients with mechanical complications of AMI than TTE.

Impact of reperfusion therapy and infarct localization on frequency of premature ventricular beats in acute myocardial infarction.

AIM: To determine the impact of infarct localization and types of reperfusion therapy on the frequency of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: A total of 705 patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were divided according to the infarct localization (anteroseptal, anterolateral, inferior and posterior) and reperfusion therapy (fibrinolysis or percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting) into two groups: LVEF<45% was an experimental group and LVEF>45% was a control group. The occurrence of VPBs<10 per hour was defined as a non-significant, and the occurrence of VPBs>10 per hour defined as a significant. RESULTS: In patients with fibrinolysis therapy and LVEF<45% significant number of VPBs were in anteroseptal (p=0.017), anterolateral (p<0.001) and posterior AMI (p<0.001), but in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and LVEF<45% significant number of VPBs were only in anteroseptal AMI (p=0.001) localization. CONCLUSION: In patients with reduced ejection fraction in AMI, treatment with PCI method has a better antiarrhythmic effect compared to fibrinolysis treatment.

Does Diabetes Have an Influence on Regional Deformation Parameters in Patients with Normal Systolic Function during Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the recovery of regional myocardial function of the left-ventricular septal wall and the septal site of the mitral valve (MV) annulus by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). METHODS: In 63 (32 diabetic and 31 control) patients having off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG), including the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) and the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), TDI measurements were performed before operation (baseline), 5 min after LIMA-LAD revascularization (early reperfusion) and after completion of all anastomoses (after revascularization). RESULTS: Compared to the patients with diabetes, the controls had higher peak systolic velocities of the mid septal segments in the early reperfusion measurement (p = 0.002). After revascularization, values of peak systolic strain at the basal (-10.13 vs. -13.36%, p = 0.044) and mid septal segments (-8.25 vs. -12.69%, p = 0.009) were decreased in the diabetic patients compared to the controls. There was no difference between the groups with respect to the velocities acquired at the septal site of the MV annulus. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates an insufficient recovery of regional myocardial function in patients with type II diabetes undergoing OPCABG.

The Role of Standard Echocardiographic Parameters in Endomyocardial Biopsy Proven Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Primary light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a plasma cell dyscrasia associated with the deposition of immunoglobulin-derived amyloid in multiple organs. In the heart, this results in an infiltrative cardiomyopathy, with increased left ventricular wall thickness, normal or decreased left ventricular (LV) cavity size and congestive heart failure. Cardiac involvement is a major determinant of prognosis of AL amyloidosis. We report a patient with cardiac amyloidosis proven by cardiac biopsy, and aim to point out at transthoracic echocardiography as the hallmark of diagnostics. Echocardiography revealed increased LV thickness at 20mm, impaired LV ejection fraction (EF) at 35%, enlarged atria, transmitral deceleration time at 156 ms and increased E/A ratio at 4.25. Early diagnosis and intervention can have a significant impact on the patient's response to treatment, especially when the underlying condition involves a malignancy or infiltrative disorder. Standard transthoracic echocardiography as a noninvasive diagnostic tool is valuable and has a significant role in diagnosis and prognosis.

Influence of the timing of cardiac surgery on the outcome of patients with infective endocarditis and stroke.

BACKGROUND: The timing of cardiac surgery after stroke in infective endocarditis (IE) remains controversial. We examined the relationship between the timing of surgery after stroke and the incidence of in-hospital and 1-year mortalities. METHODS: Data were obtained from the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study of 4794 patients with definite IE who were admitted to 64 centers from June 2000 through December 2006. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate the impact of early surgery on hospital and 1-year mortality after adjustments for other significant covariates. RESULTS: Of the 857 patients with IE complicated by ischemic stroke syndromes, 198 who underwent valve replacement surgery poststroke were available for analysis. Overall, 58 (29.3%) patients underwent early surgical treatment vs 140 (70.7%) patients who underwent late surgical treatment. After adjustment for other risk factors, early surgery was not significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality rates (odds ratio, 2.308; 95% confidence interval [CI], .942-5.652). Overall, probability of death after 1-year follow-up did not differ between 2 treatment groups (27.1% in early surgery and 19.2% in late surgery group, P = .328; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.138; 95% CI, .802-1.650). CONCLUSIONS: There is no apparent survival benefit in delaying surgery when indicated in IE patients after ischemic stroke. Further observational analyses that include detailed pre- and postoperative clinical neurologic findings and advanced imaging data (eg, ischemic stroke size), may allow for more refined recommendations on the optimal timing of valvular surgery in patients with IE and recent stroke syndromes.

Tetralogy of Fallot with cor triatriatum dexter in an adult patient: a case report.

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect with only approximately 3% of uncorrected patients surviving past age 40. In this case report, we present a 48-year-old mentally retarded man suffering from congenital spastic quadriplegia who was diagnosed with a unique combination of symptomatic TOF and cor triatriatum dexter (CTD). Reduced preload because of CTD with spastic quadriplegia that prevented physical exertion is believed to have facilitated this patient's unusually long survival.