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Objective: To investigate mean platelet volume (MPV) levels in patients with coronary slow flow (CSF)., Methods: 465 stable angina pectoris cases with angiographically normal coronary arteries were recruited [coronary slow flow group (n=76), control group (n=389)] in the observational retrospective cohort study. Clinical, biochemical and demographic variables including MPV were noted and coronary blood flow was assessed with TIMI frame count (TFC)., Results: Gender, smoking, height, serum creatinine, uric acid levels, hemoglobin, waist/hip ratio, systolic blood pressure but not MPV were significantly different among groups. Independent predictors of CSF were height (p=.029) and serum uric acid level (p=.045). Gender, height, weight, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, serum urea, creatinine, uric acid levels, hemoglobin and platelet count were associated with mean TFC whereas independent predictors of mean TIMI frame count were height (p=.010) and serum uric acid level (p=.041)., Conclusion: Height and serum uric acid level but not MPV were independent predictors of both CSF and mean TFC.

Purpose: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an indicator of coronary atherosclerosis and is associated with future adverse cardiac events. Isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as localized or diffuse dilation of the coronary arteries without coronary stenosis. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between CAC and isolated CAE., Methods: Thirty-four patients with isolated CAE and 50 controls subjects, with normal coronary arteries, were enrolled in the study. Baseline demographic features and atherosclerosis risk factors were similar in both groups., Results: Patients with CAE had higher total CAC than control subjects (84±111 vs. 33.5±103.5; p<0.001). There was also a significant correlation between per-segment CAC and ectatic segment length (r=0.32; p=0.01) but no correlation with diameter (r=0.09; p=0.5)., Conclusion: Patients with isolated CAE had higher CAC than control subjects, suggesting that atherosclerosis may be involved in the pathogenesis of isolated CAE. Patients with isolated CAE may have increased cardiovascular risk and should receive appropriate risk stratification and relevant medical treatment.

Aims: There is limited data on alterations in novel right ventricular (RV) function indices like tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and tricuspid annular systolic velocity (TASV) after transcatheter atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. We aimed to evaluate RV function by echocardiography (ECG) with these novel indices in early period in patients with secundum-type ASD that was closed percutaneously., Methods: Patients were enrolled to study if they had secundum-type ASD that was suitable for percutaneous closure. Patient population consisted of 4 men and 16 women. Echocardiography was performed before and 1 month after closure., Results: Mean age was 37 ± 16. Mean diameter of ASD and total atrial septum length measured by ECG were 19 ± 6 mm and 49 ± 7 mm, respectively. Mean diameter of defect in transesophageal echocardiography was 20 ± 6 mm. Stretched mean diameter in catheterization was 23 ± 6 mm. One month after closure, there were statistically significant decreases in RV end-diastolic diameters (43.3 ± 10.7 mm vs. 34.9 ± 5.5 mm; P < 0.001), RV/left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter ratio (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 0.87 ± 0.1; P < 0.001), TASV (16.9 ± 3.2 cm/sec vs. 14.3 ± 3.3 cm/sec; P < 0.05), early diastolic tricuspid annular velocity (15.3 ± 3.1 cm/sec vs. 13.4 ± 2.4 cm/sec P <0.05), late diastolic tricuspid annular velocity (16.2 ± 5.4 cm/sec vs. 14.3 ± 6.3 cm/sec; P < 0.05), and TAPSE (29.9 ± 6.2 mm vs. 22.4 ± 7.4 mm; P < 0.001). LV end-diastolic diameter (38.0 ± 6.9 mm and 40.0 ± 4.5 P < 0.05) was increased, whereas there was no change in LV ejection fraction., Conclusion: Closure of ASD by using Amplatzer devices led to decrease in right heart chamber size, tissue Doppler-derived tricuspid annular velocities and TAPSE in early period., (© 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is among the multiple cardiovascular biomarkers that have been associated with increased cardiovascular disease. Lp-PLA2 appears, however, to be relatively unique in its high specificity for vascular inflammation as opposed to systemic inflammation, its low biologic variability, and its direct role in the causal pathway of plaque inflammation. Nevertheless, the relation between LP-PLA2 and isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE) has not been investigated yet. The aim of our study was to assess this relation., Methods: Twenty-five patients with isolated CAE without stenosis and 25 control subjects with angiographically normal coronary arteries were included in this study. Lp-PLA2 mass was determined in serum by a dual monoclonal antibody immunoassay., Results: Patients with isolated CAE had significantly higher level of Lp-PLA2 compared to the control subjects with angiographically normal coronary arteries (284 ± 102 ng/ml in ectasia and 199 ± 62 ng/ml in control group, respectively, p 0.001). Also we detected a significant positive correlation between the presence of CAE and Lp-PLA2 (r = 0.452, p 0.001)., Conclusion: We have demonstrated for the first time increased Lp-PLA2 level in patients with isolated CAE, suggesting that Lp-PLA2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of CAE.

Wastewater pollution in industrial areas is one of the most important environmental problems. Heavy metal pollution, especially chromium pollution in wastewater sources from dyeing and tannery has affected the life on earth. This pollution can affect all ecosystems and human health directly or by food chain. Therefore, the determination of chromium in this study is of great importance. Dil Creek is located in the eastern Marmara region and discharges into the Izmit Gulf. This water source is used for irrigation in agriculture and as drinking water for animals. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and selective method for the speciative direct determination of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) in dyeing waste water samples collected from the nearest station to Izmit Gulf of Dil Creek in May 2006 by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) has been developed. An analysis of a given sample is completed in about 15 min for ICP-AES the method. As the result of the chromium analysis, the limit of quantification (LOQ) for the Cr (III), Cr (VI) and total Cr were founded as 0.0111 +/- 0.0002 mg/l (RSD, 1.80%), 0.0592 +/- 0.0010 mg/l (RSD, 1.70%) and 0.0703 +/- 0.0020 mg/l (RSD, 2.84%) respectively. In addition, the general mathematical formula has been developed to calculate the concentration of Cr(III), which can be applied to any other metal species. The result of Cr (VI) analysis indicated that water quality of Creek was IV. class quality according to the inland water classification. In order to validate the applied method, recovery studies were performed.