Adil Hassan Alhusseiny

Concomitant measurements of serum annexin A5 levels and hematological indices as markers in recent and old myocardial infarction with low ejection fraction: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND Serum annexin A5 (anxA5) level is significantly increased in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Hematological indices are significantly increased in patients with ischemic heart disease. This study aimed to demonstrate the changes in the distribution of blood cells and the levels of anxA5 in patients presented with significant low ejection fraction ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) in comparison with corresponding patients with ischemic heart disease. METHODS Patients with low ejection fraction presenting at Hospital of Diyala University of Iraq were enrolled. Electrocardiograph (ECG), echocardiograph, hematological indices, serum annexin V (anxV) levels and the determinants of the cardio-metabolic risk factors were performed. Based on clinical examination, ECG findings and laboratory tests, patients were divided into healthy subjects (n=20); patients with acute MI (n=40) and with chronic MI (n=12). RESULTS Acute MI has significant high levels of serum triglyceride, uric acid and high mean value of red cell distribution width (RDW) compared with healthy subjects and chronic MI. Platelet distribution width (PDW) is significantly reduced in patients of acute MI and chronic MI compared with healthy subjects, whereas the plateletcrit (PCT) is significantly higher in acute MI compared with healthy subjects. There is an insignificant difference between the means of serum anxA5 levels of acute MI (35.6±7.2ng/ml) and chronic MI (32.4±8.9ng/ml), but significantly higher than the cutoff level of the healthy subjects (5ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS Measurement of serum annexin level is a useful diagnostic marker of acute or chronic MI with low ejection fraction.

Assessment of serum interleukins-17 and 1β levels in hypertensive patients treated with angiotensin converting enzyme and/or angiotensin II receptor blockers

Background: Low-grade inflammation plays a role in pathogenesis of hypertension. Some of antihypertensive agents have anti-inflammatory effects. Aims: This study aimed to compare the serum levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-1β in hypertensive patients treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and/or angiotensin receptor blockers with untreated hypertensive patients. Settings and Design: This observational study was carried in Departments of Medicine, College of Medicine, Diyala University in Iraq from June 2014 to December 2014. Materials and Methods: A total of 78 hypertensive patients treated with ACEIs and/or ARBs, and another 28 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients (without treatment at the time of admission into the study) were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements and the laboratory measurements included fasting serum lipid profile, and serum IL-1β and IL-17 levels as proinflammatory markers. Statistical Analysis: All calculations and analysis were made using Excel 2003 and SPSS program (version 17) for Windows. Results: There are nonsignificant differences in the anthropometric and lipid profile measurements between treated and untreated hypertensive patients. The blood pressure of patients treated with ARBs and/or ACEIs is significantly lower than the corresponding level of untreated patients but still higher than the cut-off level of 140/90 mmHg. Nonsignificant low serum IL-17 levels observed in treated hypertensive patients compared with untreated hypertensive patients. Significant inverse correlation between serum IL-17 with systolic (r = −0.420, P < 0.02) and diastolic (r = 0.491, P < 0.01) blood pressure observed in patients treated with ACEIs. Conclusions: We conclude that hypertensive patients treated with ACEIs and/or ARBs drugs showed inconsistent serum levels of IL-1β and IL-17 and a paradox is observed in the relation between these cytokines levels and blood pressure measurements.