Gulcan Abali

Left and Right Ventricular Function Is Impaired in Behcet's Disease

Objectives: Subclinical cardiac involvement may occur in patients with Behçets disease (BD). The purpose of our study was to assess the noninvasive parameters of biventricular function derived from Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) of the tricuspid and mitral annular motion in BD. Methods: Twenty‐one patients with BD and 20 control subjects were enrolled in this study. All subjects were selected to exclude those with cardiovascular risk factors. Standard echocardiography and pulsed DTI were obtained in every patient. Results: Peak systolic (13.71 ± 2.09 vs 20.01 ± 1.57, P < 0.001), peak early diastolic (11.26 ± 2.52 vs 15.35 ± 2.06, P < 0.001) tricuspid annular velocities were significantly lower in patients than controls. Peak systolic (8.68 ± 1.4 vs 12.25 ± 1.7, P < 0.001), peak early diastolic (7.89 ± 1.07 vs 9.94 ± 1.12, P < 0.001), and peak end diastolic (8.30 ± 1.32 vs 9.23 ± 0.91, P = 0.013) lateral mitral annular velocities were significantly lower in patients than controls. Conclusions: We demonstrated that myocardial velocities, were affected in patients with BD. Therefore, we conclude that right and left ventricular function is impaired in patients with BD.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Is Associated with a Significant Worsening of QT Dynamicity and Heart Rate Variability

Background: Imbalance in autonomic nervous system and impaired myocardial repolarization has been shown to increase the risk for arrhythmias in patients with coronary artery disease. This study evaluated the effects of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on heart rate variability and QT interval dynamicity in subjects with coronary artery disease undergoing elective CABG surgery. Methods: The study group consisted of 68 consecutive patients (mean age ±SD: 61 ± 9 years) with coronary artery disease who underwent elective CABG. Twenty-four-hour Holter monitoring was performed 2–5 days before cardiac surgery and was repeated 10 days after CABG. ELATEC holter software was used to calculate heart rate variability and QT dynamicity parameters. All subjects had a complete history, laboratory examination and transthoracic echocardiography. Results: All patients had beta-blocking agent medication pre- and postoperatively. Standard deviation of all NN intervals for a selected time period, square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent RR intervals, the proportion of differences in successive NN intervals greater than 50 ms, normalized low-frequency power, and normalized high-frequency power were significantly decreased after CABG surgery, whereas low-frequency/high-frequency ratio was significantly increased after CABG. QT/RR slopes over 24 h were significantly increased after CABG surgery for QT end and QT apex (QTapex/RR: 0.16 ± 0.13 vs. 0.28 ± 0.19, p < 0.001; QTend/RR: 0.18 ± 0.13 vs. 0.36 ± 0.23, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This prospective study showed for the first time that CABG was associated with a significant worsening of heart rate variability and QT dynamicity parameters in the postoperative period.

Decreased Protein Z Concentrations Complicating the Hypercoagulable State of Behqet's Disease

Protein Z is a vitamin-K-dependent plasma protein that serves as a cofactor for the inhibition of factor Xa. Although the precise physiologic function of protein Z is still unknown, abnornal plasma protein Z concentrations have been associated with a number of thrombotic disease states. There is the evidence of universal activation of the hemostatic system in Behqets disease (BD), which represents a hypercoagulable/prothrombotic state. Circulating protein Z levels in patients with BD were evaluated. Plasma protein Z concentrations were assayed in 24 patients with BD (male/female: 13/11, mean age 35.4 years) and in 24 healthy controls (males/females: 14/10, mean age 59.8 years). The disease duration was 10.6 years (range, 1-30 years). None of the subjects in either group had received anticoagulants within 3 weeks before the study, and none of them had liver dysfunction. Patients complicated with vascular disease were also excluded from the study. Mean plasma concentrations of protein Z were 141 ng/mL (range, 56.8-257) in healthy controls and 107.8 ng/mL (range, 21.2-202) in BD patients (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the disease duration and protein Z levels in the study group (p<0.05, r=0.448). Alterations of protein Z concentrations could complicate the pathobiology of the prothrombotic state of BD. Furthermore, the tendency of increment in the protein Z with the passage of time may reflect the diminution of the disease activity.

Admission plasma leptin level strongly correlates with the success of thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Obesity-associated alterations in coagulation and fibrinolytic factors in favor of thrombosis are well known. Observations suggest that leptin, a recently discovered obesity gene product, in addition to being a satiety factor, induces platelet aggregation, accelerates formation of firm thrombi, and is associated with abnormal fibrinolysis. The authors studied the influence of plasma leptin concentrations on admission within 6 hours of acute myocardial infarction (MI) on the outcome of thrombolytic therapy (TT). Forty-one patients with acute MI who underwent TT were enrolled into the study. Levels of plasma leptin were determined with radioimmunoassay method in samples obtained just before initiation of TT. Patients were initially classified according to the admission plasma leptin concentrations, and it was observed that failure of reperfusion therapy with streptokinase was significantly higher in patients with admission plasma leptin concentrations ≥14 ng/mL (group 2) as compared to patients with admission plasma leptin concentrations <14 ng/mL (group 1). Final failure of TT, identified both by reinfarction and absence of early reperfusion as assessed noninvasively, was observed in 11 patients (39%) in group 1 and in 10 patients (77%) in group 2 (p=0.025). Left ventricular ejection fraction was slightly but significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.031). High plasma leptin concentrations on admission in patients within 6 hours after the onset of acute MI are associated with less TT efficacy. The authors suggest that admission leptin levels may play a role in the management of patients with acute MI.

The efficacy and safety of irbesartan in primary hypertension even if a dose is missed: Results from the NO PROBLEM Study

Abstract Objectives. This study aimed to demonstrate that irbesartan is successful in reducing diastolic blood pressure (BP) even following a missed dose after 6–8-weeks’ treatment as measured by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Methods. Eighty-eight patients (64 females, mean age: 53.4 ± 10.6 years) with primary hypertension were included in this national, single-center, single-arm, open-label, prospective clinical study. Irbesartan (150 or 300 mg/day) was administered for 8 weeks. All patients were asked to cease treatment for 1 day during weeks 6–8. Changes in diastolic and mean 24-hour BP on the day of cessation and diastolic BP values during visits were efficacy parameters. Adverse events were also recorded. Results. Systolic, diastolic, and mean BP values measured via ABPM before and on the day of a missed dose did not differ significantly. Irbesartan effectively controlled BP of the patients. BP normalization rates were 54% for 150 mg/day irbesartan only and 77% for both doses (150 or 300 mg/day) of irbesartan. None of the patients experienced serious adverse events throughout the study period. Conclusions. Irbesartan is successful and safe in the control of BP levels even following a missed dose at the end of a 6–8-week treatment period.

The relationship between B-type natriuretic peptide levels and echocardiographic parameters in patients with heart failure admitted to the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a peptide, which has recently been used in the differential diagnosis and follow-up of patients with heart failure. Our aim in the present prospective and diagnostic designed study is to investigate the role of BNP in determining the etiology of dyspnea and to evaluate its relation with newer echocardiographic parameters. METHODS Thirty-four patients presenting to the emergency department with dyspnea and fulfilling the Framingham criteria for heart failure were included in the study. Blood samples were obtained in the first hour of presentation for measurement of BNP levels from all patients. Detailed transthoracic two-dimensional, Doppler and tissue Doppler echocardiographic studies were then performed within 24 hours of presentation. Statistical analyses were performed using Students t-test for independent samples, Mann Whitney U test and Pearson or Spearman correlation tests. RESULTS Plasma BNP levels were found to be significantly correlated with left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic diameter, left atrial diameter and the degree of mitral insufficiency (r=0.46, p=0.007; r=0.39, p=0.02; r=0.32, p=0.065; r=0.50, p=0.014, respectively). A significant inverse correlation was observed between plasma BNP levels and left ventricular ejection fraction (r=-0.5, p=0.003). When the patients were grouped according to their BNP levels, the mean ejection fraction of the group with BNP levels below median (578 pg/l) was 60.65+/-13.84%, whereas the mean ejection fraction of the group with BNP levels of 578 pg/l or above (BNP 2) was 49.41+/-15.26% (p=0.027). Out of parameters reflecting left ventricular diastolic functions, only transmitral Epeak/Apeak ratio was found to be significantly associated with BNP levels (r=0.4, p=0.05). Tissue Doppler study revealed significant correlations between BNP levels and right ventricular basal and midsystolic velocities (r=-0.507, p=0.008; r=-0.562, p=0.005, respectively) while none of the left ventricular tissue velocities displayed significant correlation with BNP values. CONCLUSION Plasma BNP levels are found to be significantly associated with conventional echocardiographic parameters reflecting left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions and tissue Doppler velocities reflecting right ventricular functions. Our findings are in agreement with the notion that plasma BNP levels are beneficial in the differential diagnosis of patients admitted to emergency service with acute dyspnea.

Impaired ventricular electrical stability and sympathetic hyperactivity in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

ObjectivesThe extent of atherosclerotic disease is identified as one of the most important predictors of long-term cardiac events in patients with coronary artery disease. Heart rate variability and QT dynamicity have been used as independent predictors for sudden death in coronary artery disease. Heart rate variability and QT dynamicity, however, have never been investigated in multivessel coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to identify autonomic nervous system activity and ventricular vulnerability in multivessel coronary artery disease. MethodsWe examined 204 patients who underwent coronary angiography. According to the number of the three major coronary vessels with significant stenosis (>70%), we divided the patients into three groups: normal coronary arteries (n=61), single-vessel coronary artery disease (n=53) and the multivessel coronary artery disease (n=90). Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recording was performed by a three-channel recorder. Heart rate variability and QT dynamicity parameters were obtained by ELA TEC software. ResultsBaseline characteristics were similar in multivessel coronary artery disease, single-vessel coronary artery disease and controls. SDNN (90±35, 117±52, 134±53, respectively; P<0.001) and HFnu (9.6±8.2, 8.9±3.7, 12.2±7.4, respectively; P=0.011) were significantly lower, whereas LFnu (27.2±11.3, 26.1±8.4, 22.0±13.4, respectively; P=0.014) and LF/HF ratio (4.4±3.2, 3.3±1.4, 2.1±1.6, respectively; P<0.001) were significantly higher in multivessel coronary artery disease. QTend/RR and QTapex/RR slopes were more significantly increased in multivessel coronary artery disease than in single-vessel coronary artery disease and control participants [QTend/RR: 0.15 (0.04–0.66), 0.12 (0.02–0.33), 0.12 (0.01–0.22), respectively; P=0.002; QTapex/RR: 0.16 (0.06–0.30), 0.12 (0.02–0.29), 0.11 (0.01–0.19), respectively; P<0.001]. ConclusionsHeart rate variability and QT dynamicity are impaired in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. Our results may indicate that heart rate variability and QT dynamicity parameters can be useful noninvasive methods that may detect autonomic nervous system activity and ventricular vulnerability in multivessel coronary artery disease.

The interleukin‐10 promoter genotype predicts diastolic dysfunction in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) predominantly acts as an anti‐inflammatory factor. Polymorphisms in the IL‐10 gene promoter determine quantitative cytokine production. Doppler echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) are superior to conventional echocardiography to evaluate diastolic dysfunction. The IL‐10 gene promoter polymorphism at position (−1082) was studied for its association with conventional and Doppler echocardiographic and TDI parameters in 112 hemodialysis (HD) patients. Blood pressure, serum C‐reactive protein (CRP), and albumin levels were also examined for the association study. The genetic association study showed that among the HD patients, there was no difference in the prevalence of systolic and diastolic dysfunction between genotypes on conventional echocardiography. However, using Doppler echocardiography and TDI, high producers for the IL‐10 −1082 promoter (−1082/GG) have higher E velocities, E/A values, lateral, and septal E′ velocities and a lower isovolumic ventricular relaxation time than low (−1082/AA) and intermediate producers (−1082/GA). Significantly higher levels of serum CRP levels and lower plasma albumin levels were found in low and intermediate producers for the IL‐10 −1082 promoter than high producers. The IL‐10 genotype may balance the effects of inflammatory cytokines on the myocardium and may be a determinant of LV function in HD patients.

The effects of inhaled formoterol on the autonomic nervous system in adolescents with asthma

BACKGROUND The safety of long-acting beta-2-adrenergic agonists is increasingly questioned by physicians. Although formoterol is frequently used in childhood, its effects on the autonomic cardiovascular system have not been studied. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of inhaled formoterol on autonomic nervous system using heart rate variability in adolescents with persistent asthma. METHODS Electrocardiography of 20 asthmatic adolescents (12-20 years) was monitored for 5 specific days. The first day served as basal measurement, and the 2nd and 3rd days reflected the effects of a single and 2 doses of formoterol, respectively. From days 4 to 29, patients received regular treatment with formoterol/budesonide and were monitored on days 30 and 31 to evaluate the development of cardiac and respiratory tolerance after single-dose and 2 doses of formoterol, respectively. Electrocardiographs were analyzed for heart rate, heart rate variability (both time and frequency domain parameters), and spirometry tests were performed. RESULTS Inhalation of single-dose formoterol increased heart rate and decreased heart rate variability parameters (ratio of the normal-to-normal [NN] interals changing in excess of 50 ms to total of NN intervals [pNN50], total power [TP][ms], TP[ln]) compared with the corresponding baseline values during the first 12 hours of the day. The heart rate variability parameters (pNN50, TP[ms], TP[ln], root mean square of differences between adjacent NN intervals) during the first 12 hours were increased on the 30th day compared with the 2nd day and decreased on the 31st day compared with the 30th day. CONCLUSION Single-dose formoterol inhalation decreases cardiovagal responsiveness and increases the sympathetic tone in cardiac autonomous control, and regular use of formoterol causes development of tolerance to these effects. However, additive doses of formoterol cause loss of this tolerance.

Preliminary observations on the effect of amitriptyline treatment in preventing syncope recurrence in patients with vasovagel syncope.

Purpose: Vasovagal syncope is a common and challenging problem that may result in injury and causes susbstantial anxiety among patients and their relatives. However, treatment of vasovagal syncope with standard pharmacologic approaches is not satisfactory. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant drug, by using its anticholinergic effects in preventing syncopal episodes in patients with vasovagal syncope.