Relationship Between Pulmonary Artery Pressure and Inflammation Parameters.

Background Inflammation can play a role in the development and progression of pulmonary hypertension (PHT). In this study, inflammatory parameters were compared in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients with and without PHT. The relationship between pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and inflammatory parameters was investigated. Materials and methods Out of 80 CHF patients, 40 had PHT. The patients' age, gender, smoking status, comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HT), and mortality rates were recorded. Inflammatory parameters were recorded. Results The mean age of the PHT group was 64.38 ± 9.17 and the mean age of the non-PHT group was 64.70 ± 8.99. There were 23 men and 17 women in the PHT group, and there were 21 men and 19 women in the non-PHT group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean age and gender distribution (p = 0.874 and p = 0.653). Accordingly, the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) value was statistically significantly higher in PHT patients (p = 0.023). The eosinophil count was found to be significantly higher in non-PHT patients (p = 0.015). Accordingly, a significant correlation was detected between CAR and PAP (r = 0.392 and p < 0.001). Conclusion In this study, the positive correlation between PAP and CAR and the significantly higher CAR value in PHT patients indicate the presence of inflammation in PHT patients. Studies on the relationship between inflammation and mortality in PHT patients may contribute more to the literature in the future.

Investigation of carotid intima-media thickness in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases than the average population. Early diagnosis of SCZ patients with subclinical atherosclerosis is great importance in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate some clinical risk factors for atherosclerosis in patients with SCZ. METHODS: Fifty-one SCZ patients (20 females, 31 males) and 55 healthy controls (HCs) (25 females, 30 males) were included in the study. Electrocardiography (ECG), lipid parameters, hemogram, and biochemistry values of the participants were taken. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting triglycerides, and total cholesterol were measured. The arrhythmogenic index of plasma (AIP) was analyzed. The recorded right and left carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements by carotid ultrasonography were scanned. RESULTS: QT interval (p = 0.035), CIMT-left (p = 0.008), CIMT-right (p = 0.002), fasting triglyceride (p = 0.005), AIP (p = 0.005) in the SCZ group compared to HCs (< 0.001) was statistically higher, while HDL (p = 0.003) was statistically lower. Smoking rates, QT interval (p = 0.035), CIMT-left (p = 0.008), and CIMT-right (p = 0.002) were significantly higher in the the SCZ group than in the HCs. According to odds ratios, individuals with SCZ have a 6.3-fold higher smoking rate. According to Pearson correlation analysis, CIMT-left was positively correlated with age and QT interval (r = 0.568, p < 0.001 and r = 0.589, p < 0.001, respectively). CIMT-right value was also positively correlated with age and QT interval (r = 0.533, p < 0.001 and r = 0.555, p < 0.001, respectively). QT interval positively and significantly predicted CIMT-left and CIMT-right (p < 0.001, ß = 0.549 and p = 0.001 and ß = 0.506 accordingly). CONCLUSION: In this study, a close relationship was found between the QT interval and CIMT in SCZ patients. This finding could be valuable for using an easy-to-calculate data such as QT in place of a laborious test such as CIMT.

Evaluation of frontal QRS-T angle values in electrocardiography in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) refers to inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and nasal mucosa. Electrocardiographic indicators of ventricular repolarization have been shown to correlate with systemic inflammation parameters. Recently, the frontal QRS-T (fQRS-T) angle has been accepted as a new indicator of ventricular depolarization and repolarization heterogeneity. The (fQRS-T) angle is recommended in predicting the risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the ventricular arrhythmia potential in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis by examining the relationship between fQRS-T angle on ECG and inflammation markers. METHODS: Inflammatory markers as well as electrocardiographc (ECG) f(QRS-T) angle, QRS duration, QT interval and corrected QT interval were examined in 54 patients with CRS versus 56 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: The f(QRS-T) angle was significantly higher in CRS patients than in healthy controls (p < .001). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) were significantly higher in CRS patients compared to healthy controls (p < .001, for all). Based on correlation analysis, NLR and f(QRS-T) angles were highly correlated (r = .845, p < .001), and according to the results of linear regression analysis, NLR was independently associated with the f(QRS-T) angle (t = 5.149, Beta = 0.595, p = < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Both f(QRS-T) angle and NLR are significantly increased in CRS patients compared to healthy controls, with increases in NLR also independently associating with increases in f(QRS-T) angle. While the increases in f(QRS-T) angle did not result in clinically alarming absolute values for f(QRS-T), CRS patients might nonetheless be at relatively higher risk for malignant cardiac arrhythmias.

Resistin and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review of the Current Literature Regarding Clinical and Pathological Relationships.

Serum resistin, mainly secreted by the bone marrow, monocytes, and macrophages, contributes to many processes, including endothelial dysfunction, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell (VSMC) proliferation, and atherothrombosis demonstrating effects on the development of hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Previously published clinical studies have shown that plasma resistin levels are significantly associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors and adverse clinical outcomes associated with the condition. Resistin is associated with vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction in vitro, most plausibly due to its relationship with oxidative stress in advanced atherosclerosis whereas in vivo studies have shown resistin to be associated with intimal hyperplasia. We aimed to summarize the role of resistin on cardiovascular disease (CVD), as we could not find any review focused on the role of resistin on CVD.