Significance of angiotensin I-converting enzyme and angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene polymorphisms as risk factors for coronary heart disease.

The D allele of an insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is associated with a risk of myocardial infarction, and the relative risk associated with the ACE D allele is increased by the C allele of an angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) gene polymorphism (an A-->C transversion at nucleotide position 1166) [28]. The relation of the ACE and AT1R gene polymorphisms to coronary heart disease and the severity of coronary artery stenosis has now been investigated in 133 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) or angina pectoris who underwent coronary angiography and in 258 control subjects. The frequency of the ACE DD genotype as compared with non-DD was significantly higher in the patients who experienced an MI and in the low-risk patients than that in the controls (P < 0.05). The DD genotype showed a significantly increased risk of MI (odds ratio 1.85). The frequency of the AT1R A/C genotypes did not differ between the patients and the controls. The severity of coronary stenosis in the patients was estimated by the number of affected vessels (> 75% stenosis) and the coronary score of Gensini. Neither the number of affected vessels nor the coronary score differed among the ACE I/D genotypes. However, the number of affected vessels was significantly greater in patients with the AT1R AC genotype than in those with the 4A genotype (1.93 +/- 0.27 vs. 1.27 +/- 0.99; P < 0.05) (CC genotype was not found in the patients). After excluding patients with diabetes mellitus, the coronary score of those with the AC genotype was also significantly higher than in those with the AA genotype (51.7 +/- 34.4 vs. 18.2 +/- 23.3; P < 0.01). These results suggest that the ACE D allele is associated with the occurrence of myocardial infarction, while the AT1R C allele is involved in the development of the coronary artery stenosis.

Ring-calcification of coronary artery aneurysms in an adolescent.

A 17-year-old asymptomatic boy with a history of Kawasaki disease in infancy was found to have an abnormal ring-calcification as seen in the chest roentgenogram and the electrocardiographic evidence of anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Coronary angiogram revealed aneurysms associated with ring-calcifications in the right coronary artery and subtotal obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery. A plain chest roentgenogram may, at times, be useful for identifying coronary aneurysms in patients with a possible history of Kawasaki disease.

Congenital coronary arteriovenous fistula associated with dilated cardiomyopathy.

A 59-year-old housewife with heart failure was found to have dilated cardiomyopathy associated with bilateral coronary artery fistula to the pulmonary artery. Coexistence of coronary arteriovenous fistula and dilated cardiomyopathy has not been reported and seems to be a casual association.

Post-stroke hypertension correlates with neurologic recovery in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

To examine the clinical implications of post-stroke hypertension, defined as the rise in blood pressure on admission after the onset of ischemic stroke as compared with the blood pressure before stroke, and to assess the relationship between the value of post-stroke hypertension and neurologic recovery, we retrospectively studied 28 patients admitted to the hospital within 24 h (mean+/-SD, 6.7+/-7.0 h) after a first-ever, acute non-embolic ischemic stroke, whose blood pressure had been recorded at the outpatient clinic within 3 mo before stroke. The Canadian Neurological Scale was used to assess stroke severity, and neurologic recovery during the acute phase was calculated. The average duration of hospitalization was 18+/-9 d. The value of post-stroke hypertension and stroke severity on admission independently and significantly correlated with neurologic recovery (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.12 and odd ratio, 0.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.72, respectively). There was also a significant linear correlation between the value of post-stroke hypertension and neurologic recovery (r= 0.50, p< 0.01). Furthermore, blood pressure after the onset of ischemic stroke was quite independent of blood pressure before stroke. We conclude that the value of post-stroke hypertension correlates with neurologic recovery in patients with acute non-embolic ischemic stroke. These results suggest that blood pressure control mechanisms change after the onset of acute ischemic stroke.

Paraoxonase gene polymorphism in Japanese subjects with coronary heart disease.

We investigated the association of paraoxonase (PON) gene polymorphism with both the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in Japanese subjects. PON is a protein associated with plasma HDL. It has been hypothesized an A/B (Gln 192-->Arg) polymorphism of PON may be involved in the pathogenesis of CHD, especially among subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The polymorphism was determined in 134 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) or angina pectoris, and in 252 healthy subjects as controls. The frequencies of the AA, AB, and BB genotypes in the patients were 15, 50 and 35%, respectively, and these frequencies did not differ from those in control subjects (14, 49, and 37%). The relative risk of CHD was not found to be associated with these genotypes. These data also were similar among selected subgroups (patients with MIs, those with a low-risk lipoprotein profile for CHD, and those with NIDDM). Neither the number of affected vessels nor Gensini's scores differed among the genotype groups. Our case-control study in Japanese subjects did not show that the PON A/B polymorphism is associated with a risk of CHD.

Takayasu's arteritis and mitral stenosis.

A 44-year-old housewife was found to have coarctation of the abdominal aorta secondary to Takayasu's arteritis. Since she also had mitral stenosis, possible etiological relation between Takayasu's arteritis and mitral stenosis is suspected.

[Clinical significance of negative dipyridamole perfusion scintigram].

Six hundred seventy-one patients who had dipyridamole perfusion scintigraphy were classified into two groups; ie, 242 patients without perfusion defect (Group A) and 429 patients with perfusion defect (Group B). Clinical significance of negative scintigram was then assessed and correlated with coronary angiographic findings and prevalence of cardiac events. 1) Significant coronary artery disease (greater than 50% luminar narrowing) was present in 7 of 92 patients (8%) in Group A and in 235 of 285 patients (82%) in Group B. Multi-vessel coronary artery disease was found only in 2 patients (2%) in Group A and in 119 patients (42%) in Group B. 2) During a mean follow-up period of 29 months, 48 cardiac death (8%) and 19 nonfatal cardiac events (3%) occurred in 619 medically treated patients. These cardiac complications were observed in 7 of 242 patients (3%) in Group A and in 60 of 377 patients (16%) in Group B, including 4 (2%) and 44 (12%) cardiac deaths, respectively. In conclusion, it is rare to see severe organic coronary artery disease and future cardiac event in patients with negative dipyridamole perfusion scintigram. It may be, therefore, stated that it is unnecessary to perform coronary angiography in these patients, unless they have symptoms which cannot be controlled medically.

[Significance of diffuse slow washout in dipyridamole loading thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy].

To assess the significance of diffuse slow washout (DSW) in dipyridamole loading thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, 382 patients were studied. DSW were observed in 69 (24%) of 285 patients with perfusion defects, 5 (5%) of 97 patients without perfusion defects. There was significant relation between DSW and perfusion defects (p less than 0.01). Coronary angiography showed multivessel disease in 84% single vessel disease in 12% of patients with DSW and multivessel disease in 28%, single vessel disease in 50% of patients without DSW. During a mean follow up period of 29 months, initial CABG or PTCA were done in 41%, cardiac death occurred in 12%, nonfatal cardiac events occurred in 7% of patients with DSW and perfusion defects. In patients without DSW, initial CABG or PTCA were done in 11%, cardiac death occurred in 7%, nonfatal cardiac events occurred in 5%. Patients without perfusion defects had good prognosis regardless of the presence or absence of DSW. In conclusion, DSW indicates serious cardiac ischemia in patients with perfusion defects. DSW does not indicate cardiac ischemia in patients without perfusion defects.

[Early management of acute myocardial infarction in the elderly].

UNLABELLED: The efficacy of reperfusion treatment has been established in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), however, its role is still controversial in the elderly patients. Data from Kochi Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry, consisting of 1,248 cases, showed that, compared to younger patients, elderly patients had greater ratio of women, painless infarction, delayed presentation, worse Killip classes, lower reperfusion procedure and higher mortality. To clarify the early management of AMI in the elderly, we analyzed the clinical data of 1,160 cases, according to age subgroup (317 advanced elderly, aged 75-84; 438 elderly, aged 65-74; 405 middle-aged, aged 45-64) and according to the period (term I, 1990-92; term II, 1993-95; term III, 1996-98). RESULTS: 1) The advanced elderly received less reperfusion treatment (37% vs. 65%) and showed higher mortality (21% vs. 8%), compared to middle-aged patients. 2) In advanced elderly patients, mortality was reduced (term I, 27%; term II, 20%; term III, 19%), according to increasing application of reperfusion treatment (term I, 22%; term II, 45%; term III, 40%). 3) Inoadvanced elderly patients with reperfusion treatment, thrombolysis resulted in a higher mortality (17% vs. 7%) compared to direct angioplasty, probably due to increased incidence of cardiac rupture and pump failure in this age group. CONCLUSIONS: Reperfusion treatment improves mortality of AMI even in elderly patients. To minimize complications, direct angioplasty may be better for elderly patients.