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Abstract Background Since cardiovascular diseases are associated with high mortality and generally undiagnosed before the onset of clinical findings, there is a need for a reliable tool for early diagnosis. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a non-invasive marker of coronary artery disease (CAD) and is widely used in practice as an inexpensive, reliable, and reproducible method. In the current study, we aimed to investigate prospectively the relationship of CIMT with the presence and extent of significant coronary artery narrowing in patients evaluated by coronary angiography for stable angina pectoris. Methods One hundred consecutive patients with stable angina pectoris and documented ischemia on a stress test were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the result of the coronary angiography: group 1 (39 patients) without a noncritical coronary lesion, and group 2 (61 patients) having at least one lesion more than 50% within the main branches of the coronary arteries. All of the patients underwent carotid Doppler ultrasound examination for measurement of the CIMT by a radiologist blinded to the angiographic data. Results The mean CIMT was 0.78 ± 0.21 mm in Group 1, while it was 1.48 ± 0.28 mm in Group 2 (p = 0.001). The mean CIMT in patients with single vessel disease, multi-vessel disease, and left main coronary artery disease were significantly higher compared to Group 1 (1.2 ± 0.34 mm, p = 0.02; 1.6 ± 0.32 mm, p = 0.001; and 1.8 ± 0.31 mm, p = 0.0001, respectively). Logistic regression analysis identified CIMT (OR 4.3, p < 0.001) and hypertension (OR 2.4, p = 0.04) as the most important factors for predicting CAD. Conclusions The findings of this study show that increase in CIMT is associated with the presence and extent of CAD. In conclusion, we demonstrated the usefulness of carotid intima-media thickness in predicting coronary artery disease but large-scale studies are required to define its role in clinical practice.

Abstract Background Statins improve the endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, they contribute to the substantial decrease in coronary heart disease by reducing plasma cholesterol levels. They also, reduce oxidative stress, stabilize the atherosclerotic plaque and inhibit inflammatory response. These functions of statins have been briefly described as pleiotropic effects. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin therapy on endothelial functions in patients with CAD. Methods Fourty-nine patients (40 men, 9 women, mean age 59 +/- 11 years) with diagnosed CAD were selected as the study group. The patients were given 10 mg/day atorvastatin for 12 weeks. If the target cholesterol levels has not been achieved 6 weeks after the treatment, then the daily atorvastatin dosage has been increased. The endothelial function was evaluated by flow mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery. Results It has been figured out that 12 weeks later, atorvastatin caused a statistically significant decrease in the plasma levels of LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol (p < 0,0001). Meanwhile, it was determined that the FMD got statistically significant improved 12 weeks after the atorvastatin therapy (8,1%–4,2%, p < 0,001). However there was no statistically significant change in non-endothelium dependent dilatation (NID). Conclusion Endothelium derived vasodilatation (EBD), which was non-invasively detected via brachial artery ultrasonography, had statistically significant improvment within 12 weeks of atorvastatin therapy whereas non-endothelium dependent dilatation (NID) had no change.

Multimodal chemical imaging using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) can provide comprehensive molecular information in situ within the same tissue sections. This is of relevance for studying different brain pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), where recent data suggest a critical relevance of colocalizing Aβ peptides and neuronal lipids. We here developed a novel trimodal, high-resolution (10 μm) MALDI imaging MS (IMS) paradigm for negative and positive ion mode lipid analysis and subsequent protein ion imaging on the same tissue section. Matrix sublimation of 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (1,5-DAN) enabled dual polarity lipid MALDI IMS on the same pixel points at high spatial resolutions (10 μm) and with high spectral quality. This was followed by 10 μm resolution protein imaging on the same measurement area, which allowed correlation of lipid signals with protein distribution patterns within distinct cerebellar regions in mouse brain. The demonstrated trimodal imaging strategy (IMS3) was further shown to be an efficient approach for simultaneously probing Aβ plaque-associated lipids and Aβ peptides within the hippocampus of 18 month-old transgenic AD mice (tgArcSwe). Here, IMS3 revealed a strong colocalization of distinct lipid species including ceramides, phosphatidylinositols, sulfatides (Cer 18:0, PI 38:4, ST 24:0) and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC 16:0, LPC 18:0) with plaque-associated Aβ isoforms (Aβ 1-37, Aβ 1-38, Aβ 1-40). This highlights the potential of IMS3 as an alternative, superior approach to consecutively performed immuno-based Aβ staining strategies. Furthermore, the IMS3 workflow allowed for multimodal in situ MS/MS analysis of both lipids and Aβ peptides. Altogether, the here presented IMS3 approach shows great potential for comprehensive, high-resolution molecular analysis of histological features at cellular length scales with high chemical specificity. It therefore represents a powerful approach for probing the complex molecular pathology of, e.g., neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by neurotoxic protein aggregation.

We present a patient who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedure for bile duct stone removal and sphincterotomy. Upon completion of the procedure, the patient experienced severe chest pain. Because myocardial infarction was the likely diagnosis, we immediately performed a coronary angiography, which identified severe coronary lesions without any total occlusion. Being skeptical of the possible cause, we searched for alternative causes and interestingly found pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and retro-intra-abdominal free air. This rare complication is particularly important for a cardiologist because they should be aware of such a complication, and correlation with the symptoms and coronary lesions should always be made.

Thromboembolic obstruction of the renal artery is a serious clinical problem, but rarely diagnosed. The diagnosis is not usually established until irreversible renal parenchymal damage occurs. Here, we present a case of renal artery thromboembolism in a patient who had atrial fibrillation and was treated by selective intra-arterial infusion of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). A 69-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with a one-hour history of palpitation and epigastric pain. He had inferior myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary intervention to the right coronary artery two weeks before. Coronary angiogram was performed, and no significant stenosis was detected. One hour later, epigastric pain spread to the left flank region. Spiral computerized tomography showed occlusion of the left renal artery. Emergency abdominal angiography was performed, and selective intra-arterial infusion of TPA was started promptly. The abdominal pain disappeared, and urine output remained adequate. Forty-eight hours later, angiographic follow-up confirmed the complete lysis of the thrombus in the left renal artery. No renal or hemorrhagic complications were observed, and the patient was discharged four days later with normalized renal function on oral anticoagulation.

Constrictive pericarditis is an uncommon cause of heart failure. It is a clinical entity caused by thickening, fibrosis, and/or calcification of the pericardium. We present a 50-year-old female patient who was admitted to our institution with a 6-month history of progressive dyspnea on exertion, abdominal swelling, and lower extremity edema. Her chest X-ray revealed an oblique linear calcification in the cardiac silhouette. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed biatrial enlargement. Left ventricular size and systolic function were normal. Cardiac computed tomography revealed the pericardial thickening (>5 mm) and heavy calcification in left atrioventricular groove. Simultaneous right and left heart catheterization showed elevation and equalization of right-sided and left-sided diastolic filling pressures, with characteristic dip, and plateau. Pericardiectomy was performed which revealed a thick, fibrous, calcified, and densely adherent pericardium constricting the heart. The postoperative period was uneventful and was in NYHA functional class I after 3 months.

Objectives: We evaluated the value of QT interval dispersion in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) in association with echocardiographic parameters and serum N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels., Study Design: The study consisted of 46 patients (39 women, 7 men; mean age 46.9±9.7 years) with moderate-to-severe rheumatic MS. All patients underwent echocardiographic examination. Blood samples for NT-proBNP were collected immediately after ECG recording. QT interval and QRS complex were measured manually on standard 12-lead surface ECGs. Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings and serum NT-proBNP levels were compared with those of a control group consisting of 30 healthy subjects (26 women, 4 men; mean age 46.1±7.3 years)., Results: Compared to controls, serum NT-proBNP levels were significantly higher in MS patients (284.6±206.5 vs. 70.2±9.3 pg/ml, p<0.001). The mean QT interval, QTc interval, and QT dispersion were significantly prolonged in MS patients compared to controls (378±25 vs. 349±21, 420±22 vs. 401±19, and 61±21 vs. 38±15 msec, respectively; p<0.005). QT and QTc dispersions were negatively correlated with mitral valve area (QT: r=-0.311, p=0.03; QTc: r=-0.327, p=0.02), and positively correlated with serum NT-proBNP level (QT: r=0.583, p<0.001; QTc: r=0.637, p<0.001). QTc dispersion was also an independent predictor of serum NT-proBNP level in regression analysis (β=0.330, p=0.03)., Conclusion: Our results indicate that QT dispersion is related to the echocardiographic degree of rheumatic mitral valve disease and serum NT-proBNP levels in rheumatic MS. Being a noninvasive, easy, and inexpensive method, QT dispersion may be used as a complementary tool to the clinical and echocardiographic evaluation of patients with rheumatic MS.

Objectives: Risk stratification in acute coronary syndromes is an important diagnostic tool guiding future therapy. We evaluated the correlation between the AHCPR (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research) risk classification and angiographic morphology in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS)., Study Design: A total of 163 patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of NSTE-ACS were prospectively enrolled. All the patients underwent AHCPR risk analysis followed by coronary angiography. Based on the AHCPR system, the patients were classified as low (n=25, mean age 55±10 years), intermediate (n=55, mean age 58±10 years), and high (n=83, mean age 61±11 years) risk groups., Results: The three groups were similar with regard to gender, age, and coronary heart disease risk factors (p>0.05). Comparison of the high-risk group with intermediate+low-risk group with regard to lesion morphology showed significantly higher rates of complex lesions (31.9% vs. 4.0%, p=0.001), total occlusion (23.2% vs. 0%, p=0.001), and intracoronary thrombosis (13% vs. 2%, p=0.02) in the high-risk group. In univariate analysis, high risk was significantly associated with the presence of complex lesion, total occlusion, intracoronary thrombosis, and TIMI flow

Retained cardiac pellets are clinically silent foreign bodies that do not cause any cardiovascular disturbance. A 71-year-old woman presented with exertional chest pain. Her physical examination and surface electrocardiogram were normal. After a positive treadmill test, coronary angiography was performed which showed nonsignificant coronary lesions. During fluoroscopy, several pellets were observed throughout the neck and two of them were simultaneously moving within the heart shadow. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed no evidence for pericardial effusion. Computed tomography scans of the chest showed the pellets above the left diaphragm in the pericardial area. Her past medical history revealed an accidental shot from a pellet rifle by her son 25 years before, at which time no surgical intervention was planned as she had been asymptomatic.

Prostacyclin, endothelin-1, and nitric oxide pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension. This devastating disease of the pulmonary vasculature is associated with vasoconstriction, thrombosis and proliferation, and this may be partly due to lack of endogenous prostacyclin secondary to prostacyclin synthase downregulation. Prostanoids (prostacycin analogues) are potent vasodilators and possess antiaggregant, antiinflammatory and antiproliferative properties. The first agent to be approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension was epoprostenol. In the last decade other prostanoids (treprostinil, iloprost) has been approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a complex disease with limiting the physical activity, life expectancy significantly and requires multidisciplinary approach. In recent years, a dramatic increase was observed in the understanding and management of the disease. The first clinical classification of PH was made in Evian (France) in 1973 and the last clinical classification of PH was made in Dana Point (USA) in 2008. Diagnosis and clinical classification of PH is discussed in this review.