Prevalence of Fabry Disease in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy in Turkey: Multicenter study (LVH-TR subgroup analysis).

PURPOSE: In this prospective study we aimed to determine the rate of Fabry Disease (FD) in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and to evaluate the clinical presentations of patients with FD in a comprehensive manner. In addition, we aimed to raise awareness about this issue by allowing early diagnosis and treatment of FD. METHODS: Our study was planned as national, multicenter, observational. Totally 22 different centers participated in this study. A total of 886 patients diagnosed with LVH by echocardiography (ECHO) were included in the study. Demographic data, biochemical parameters, electrocardiography (ECG) findings, ECHO findings, treatments and clinical findings of the patients were recorded. Dry blood samples were sent from male patients with suspected FD. The α-Gal A enzyme level was checked and genetic testing was performed in patients with low enzyme levels. Female patients suspected of FD were genetically tested with the GLA Gene Mutation Analysis. RESULTS: FD was suspected in a total of 143 (16.13%) patients included in the study. The α-Gal-A enzyme level was found to be low in 43 (4.85%) patients whom enzyme testing was requested. GLA gene mutation analysis was positive in 14 (1.58%) patients. Male gender, E/e' mean ,and severe hypertrophy are important risk factor for FD. CONCLUSION: In daily cardiology practice, FD should be kept in mind not only in adult patients with unexplained LVH but also in the entire LVH population. Dry blood test (DBS) should be considered in high-risk patients, and mutation analysis should be considered in required patients.

Impact of Smoking Status on Mortality in STEMI Patients Undergoing Mechanical Reperfusion for STEMI: Insights from the ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 Registry.

The so-called "smoking paradox", conditioning lower mortality in smokers among STEMI patients, has seldom been addressed in the settings of modern primary PCI protocols. The ISACS−STEMI COVID-19 is a large-scale retrospective multicenter registry addressing in-hospital mortality, reperfusion, and 30-day mortality among primary PCI patients in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the 16,083 STEMI patients, 6819 (42.3%) patients were active smokers, 2099 (13.1%) previous smokers, and 7165 (44.6%) non-smokers. Despite the impaired preprocedural recanalization (p < 0.001), active smokers had a significantly better postprocedural TIMI flow compared with non-smokers (p < 0.001); this was confirmed after adjustment for all baseline and procedural confounders, and the propensity score. Active smokers had a significantly lower in-hospital (p < 0.001) and 30-day (p < 0.001) mortality compared with non-smokers and previous smokers; this was confirmed after adjustment for all baseline and procedural confounders, and the propensity score. In conclusion, in our population, active smoking was significantly associated with improved epicardial recanalization and lower in-hospital and 30-day mortality compared with previous and non-smoking history.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index: A Novel Predictor for Risk of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Undergoing Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utility of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and inflammatory panel in predicting the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation (PoAF) among patients undergoing elective isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: A total of 116 patients (mean age: 61.9 ± 9.8 years, 78.4% were males) undergoing   isolated CABG were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into two groups, including those who developed PoAF (N = 26) and those without PoAF (N = 90). Inflammatory panel was evaluated in both groups. RESULTS: Patients with PoAF had significantly higher values for P-wave dispersion (PWD; 53.9 ± 5.9 versus 40.2 ± 5.1, P < .001), HATCH score (2.4 ± 1.3 versus 1 ± 1.1, P < .001), and left atrial dimension (4.0 ± 0.3 versus 3.8 ± 0.2 cm, P = .003). In the multivariate analysis with inclusion of PWD, HATCH score and SII, only SII (OR 1.007, 95% CI 1.002 to 1.012, P = .003) and PWD (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.225 to 2.757, P = .002) were shown to be independent predictors of increased risk for PoAF. CONCLUSION: Preoperative SII seems to be a non-invasive readily available marker that significantly predicts the risk of PoAF in patients undergoing isolated CABG.

A New Perspective for Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia: Cystatin C.

Introduction The pathophysiology of isolated coronary artery ectasia (iCAE) has not been clearly identified, although multiple abnormalities, including arteritis, endothelial dysfunction, and vascular destruction, have been reported. In this study, we aimed to analyze serum cystatin C concentrations in patients with iCAE and controls. Methods Forty-seven patients with iCAE (mean age: 55.9 ± 11.5) and 32 individuals with normal coronary angiography (mean age: 57.8.1 ± 9.6) were included in the study. Plasma cystatin C levels were measured by using the principle of particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (PETIA). Results Serum cystatin C concentrations were significantly lower in patients with iCAE compared with the control group (0.98 ± 0.17 mg/L versus 1.17 ± 2.6 mg/L, p-value = 0.001). A significantly positive relationship was found between serum cystatin C levels and creatinine and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in both groups (r-value = 0.288, p-value = 0.005, r-value = 0.143, p-value = 0.007, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, serum cystatin C level found to be a significant predictor for the presence of iCAE (OR: 0.837, CI: 95% (0.341 - 1.637), p-value = 0.013). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined that a cystatin C value < 1.02 mg/L had a sensitivity of 56% and a specificity of 78% for the prediction of ectasia. Conclusion We conclude that cystatin C independently can be a useful predictor for the presence of iCAE.

In vitro analysis of the effect of contrast agents on the antiaggregant effects of P2Y12 inhibitors.

OBJECTIVES: The contrast agents have different molarities and ionic structures. The high osmolar contrast agents could increase platelet aggregation but the ionic contrast agents decrease platelet aggregation. However there is insufficient data on whether the antiaggregan effect of P2Y12 inhibitors used during coronary interventions are affected by the contrast agents. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro effects of different contrast agents on the antiaggregant activity of P2Y12 inhibitors (clopidogrel, ticagrelor and prasugrel). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients (who underwent percutaneous coronary interventions and were treated with a P2Y12 inhibitor for a minimum of 10 days) and five healthy volunteers were divided into four groups: the clopidogrel (10 patients), ticagrelor (10 patients), prasugrel (10 patients) and control (five volunteers) groups. Antiaggregant activity was measured by using the Verify-Now method and was represented as P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) values. Three tubes of blood were collected from the participants in the three patient groups and in the control group; as the contrast material, 10% iohexol was added to a second tube, and 10% iodixanol was added to a third tube. PRU values of the control and the contrast tubes were measured at 5 min and at 30 min after the contrast material was added. RESULTS: Iohexol and iodixanol led to a significant decrease in the PRU values in the control group (iohexol: 188.4 ±â€¯39.2 vs 142.4 ±â€¯17.0, p = .04; iodixanol: 188.4 ±â€¯39.2 vs 159.2 ±â€¯33.7, p = .04) and in the clopidogrel group (iohexol: 140.8 ±â€¯50.8 vs 106.3 ±â€¯44.4, p = .04; iodixanol: 140.8 ±â€¯50.8 vs 109.4 ±â€¯47.6, p = .009) but not in the ticagrelor and prasugrel groups. The PRU values were significantly lower in the ticagrelor (23.1 ±â€¯26.2) and prasugrel (23.4 ±â€¯27.5) groups than in the clopidogrel (140.8 ±â€¯50.8) and control (188.4 ±â€¯39.2) groups (p < .01), and the PRU values for the ticagrelor and prasugrel groups were similar for both the 5-min and 30-min time periods (p > .05). The antiaggregant activities of iohexol and iodixanol were observed to be similar at the 5- and 30-minute time points for all of the groups (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Iohexol and iodixanol had in vitro antiaggregant effects, and their antiaggregant effects were similar. Iohexol and iodixanol increased the clopidogrel antiaggregant activity in vitro, but they did not significantly alter the antiaggregant activities of prasugrel and ticagrelor.