Serum Paraoxonase Levels are Correlated with Impaired Aortic Functions in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between aortic functions and paraoxonase levels has been previously demonstrated by several earlier studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between serum paraoxonase levels and aortic functions among patients with chronic kidney disease. METHODS: Our study enrolled 46 chronic kidney disease patients and 45 healthy controls. From these patients, serum cholesterol, creatinine, hemoglobin, and paraoxonase-1 levels were analyzed. RESULTS: Paraoxonase-1 levels were significantly lower in patients with chronic kidney disease compared to the controls (p < 0.001). Additionally, the extent of aortic stiffness index (%) was significantly higher in chronic kidney disease patients, but aortic strain and aortic distensibility were significantly higher in healthy controls (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). We further found that paraoxonase-1 levels were correlated with aortic stiffness index, aortic strain, and aortic distensibility (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that serum paraoxonase-1 levels were significantly correlated with impaired aortic functions. The results of this study highlight the impact of serum paraoxonase-1 activity on atherosclerosis and cardiovascular adverse events. KEY WORDS: Aortic functions; Atherosclerosis; Chronic kidney disease; Echocardiography; Paraoxonase.

Concurrent Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation and Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy for Totally Percutaneous Treatment of Combined Severe Rheumatic Aortic and Mitral Stenosis.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a new promising therapeutic option for patients with symptomatic severe calcific aortic valve stenosis (AS) who are inoperable or at high risk for conventional cardiac surgery. Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is performed routinely in patients with severe mitral stenosis (MS) having a favorable anatomy. Although concurrent TAVI and PTMC is a theoretically possible approach in the treatment of patients with severe AS and MS who are unsuitable for conventional surgery, no cases have yet been reported in which this combined technique is used. For patients with severe AS and MS, the standard therapy is replacement of both the mitral and aortic valves. Herein are presented the details of a 52-year-old woman with urethral carcinoma, in whom simultaneous TAVI and PTMC was the chosen technique to treat combined severe rheumatic AS and MS in a single procedure.

Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair with the MitraClip System in Mitral Regurgitation Due to Mitral Annular Calcification.

Percutaneous valve repair with the MitraClip represents a new and promising therapeutic option for patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Mitral valve prolapse and flail leaflet are two major causes of degenerative MR in patients who underwent the MitraClip procedure. Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is also a less-frequent cause of degenerative MR. Among patients with MAC, open surgical treatment or valvular replacement is the treatment of choice for severe MR. Herein we present a case with severe MR secondary to MAC in whom successful percutaneous valve repair was accomplished with the MitraClip system due to the high risk of open-heart surgery.

An Extreme Case of CoreValve Bioprosthesis Embolization into the Abdominal Aorta and of the Delivery Catheter Cone into the Right Internal Iliac Artery.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a new and hopefully therapeutic option in patients with symptomatic severe calcific aortic valve stenosis and multiple comorbidities who are not eligible for open-heart surgery due to unacceptable conventional surgical risks. Herein is reported the case of a patient who underwent TAVI in whom an unusual CoreValve bioprosthesis embolization occurred into the abdominal aorta. While attempting to retrieve the whole system, the conical tip of the catheter delivery system also became embolized into the right iliac artery. Importantly, this case demonstrated a rare complication of CoreValve bioprosthesis embolization which was managed without surgical intervention. Video 1: Peripheral angiography demonstrating the embolized CoreValve bioprosthesis. Video 2: Fluoroscopy demonstrating completely opened CoreValve bioprosthesis at a level above the iliac artery bifurcation and the mobile conical tip in the valve system. Video 3: Peripheral angiography demonstrating prosthetic valve without any flow limitation and embolized conical tip into the right internal iliac artery. Video 4: Peripheral angiography demonstrating prosthetic valve without any flow limitation and embolized conical tip into the right internal iliac artery. Video 5: Aortography demonstrating the successfully implanted second CoreValve bioprosthesis in an optimal aortic position, with no paravalvular leak. Video 6: Peripheral angiography demonstrating the embolized conical tip into the right iliac artery with a normal external iliac artery flow. Video 7: Peripheral angiography demonstrating the embolized conical tip into the right iliac artery with a normal external iliac artery flow.

Successful percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system of acute mitral regurgitation due to papillary muscle rupture as complication of acute myocardial infarction.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip is a new promising therapeutic option for symptomatic severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a well recognized cause of papillary muscle rupture (PMR). If PMR is untreated, the prognosis is poor and the mortality could be as high as 80% during the first week of post MI. For patients with PMR, the standard therapy for MR is open surgical repair or replacement. However, in our case, percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip was chosen technique because of the metastatic colon cancer. We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who underwent successful percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system for the treatment of acute MI complicated by PMR.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a CoreValve bioprosthesis in a 57-year-old man.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a promising new technology which is typically used to treat elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis who cannot undergo surgical aortic valve replacement due to high risk factors. This procedure may also be a therapeutic option in particular relatively young cases with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are unsuitable candidates for surgery. Clinical experience with TAVI in these patients is very limited due to concerns regarding long-term valve durability. Herein, the case is reported of a 57-year-old man with severe aortic stenosis who presented with decompensated heart failure and successfully underwent transfemoral CoreValve implantation. To the best of the present authors' knowledge, this is the youngest reported patient to have received a CoreValve bioprosthesis to date.

Investigating the Association Between Adolescent Internet Addiction and Parental Attitudes.

Objectives: In this study, the association between parents' attitudes and internet addiction among adolescent high school students was investigated through some sociodemographic variables. Methods: The research was carried out with 385 students studying in four high schools in western Turkey. Sociodemographic characteristics, parental attitude scale and internet addiction scale were used in the study. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis and structural equation modeling analysis were applied. Results: The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between the combined mean score obtained from the Parental Attitude Scale and the mean score obtained from the Internet Addiction Scale, and that authoritarian parenting attitude increases the risk of internet addiction [OR = 1.70 (95% CI: 1.33-2.18)]. In the structural equation modeling analysis, the model summary fit values were determined to be at a good level (χ2/df = 2.86, GFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.073) regarding the relationship between parental attitude and internet addiction. Conclusion: Adolescents' internet addiction levels changes related to their parents' democratic attitude evolve.

Association between admission mean platelet volume and coronary patency after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: High levels of mean platelet volume (MPV) have been shown to be a predictor of poor clinical outcome among survivors of myocardial infarction. We evaluated the association between admission MPV and infarct-related artery (IRA) patency in patients treated with thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively evaluated 133 consecutive patients with ST-elevation AMI, who received thrombolytic therapy within 12 hours of chest pain. Sixty-five patients received streptokinase and 68 patients received recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator, based on the discretion of the physician. Blood samples were taken before thrombolytic therapy and MPV was measured. Coronary angiography was performed within a mean of two days after thrombolytic therapy and the flow in the IRA was assessed with the TIMI flow grade and corrected TIMI frame count (CTFC). RESULTS: After thrombolytic therapy, TIMI 3 flow was achieved in 62 patients (46.6%), whereas 71 patients (53.4%) had insufficient TIMI flow. Patients with insufficient TIMI flow had a significantly higher mean admission MPV (9.8+/-1.5 fl vs. 8.6+/-1.4 fl; p<0.001) and were more likely to have been given streptokinase (p=0.02). The two groups were similar with respect to the type of IRA and the number of diseased vessels (p>0.05). There was a weak correlation between MPV and CTFC (p=0.01). Multivariate analysis showed MPV (OR 1.871, 95% CI 1.402-2.498; p<0.001) and the type of thrombolytic agent (OR 2.915; 95% CI 1.333-6.374; p=0.007) as independent predictors of insufficient TIMI flow. The receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded a cutoff value of 8.885 fl for MPV to predict insufficient TIMI flow, with sensitivity and specificity being 70.4% and 66.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that a higher admission MPV is associated with an increased risk for insufficient TIMI flow in the IRA after thrombolytic therapy for AMI.

P-wave duration and dispersion in patients with metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to investigate P-wave dispersion (PWD) in patients with MS. METHODS: The study population included 66 patients with MS (21 men, 45 women; mean age, 49.7 +/- 9.1 years) and 63 control subjects without MS (26 men, 37 women; mean age, 47.0 +/- 10.6 years). The diagnosis of MS was based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. A 12-lead electrocardiogram was recorded for each subject. The difference between maximum and minimum P-wave duration was calculated and defined as PWD. An echocardiographic examination was also performed for each subject. RESULTS: Maximum P-wave duration and PWD were found to be significantly higher in patients with MS compared with the control subjects (Maximum P-wave duration: 113.5 +/- 9.7 ms vs 101.0 +/- 8.1 ms, PWD: 37.8 +/- 7.6 vs 23.3 +/- 5.9, respectively, P < 0.001 for both). However, there was no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding minimum P-wave duration (75.6 +/- 6.9 ms vs 77.6 +/- 7.8 ms, respectively, P = 0.18). In addition, PWD was positively correlated with age, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride level, deceleration time, isovolumetric relaxation time and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and early-to-late diastolic velocity ratio. CONCLUSION: We have shown that patients with MS have higher PWD, indicating increased risk for AF, compared to the control subjects without MS.

Penetrating atherosclerotic aortic ulcer mimicking acute inferior myocardial infarction.

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers (PAU), aortic dissection, and intramural hematoma are the three most important diseases involving the aorta which are classified as acute aortic syndromes. Penetrating atherosclerotic aortic ulceration is characterized by ulceration of atheromatous plaque disrupting the internal elastic lamina. These aortic ulcers may penetrate through the media to cause aortic pseudoaneurysms or less often through the adventitia to cause transmural aortic rupture. We described a case of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of ascending aorta mimicking ST elevation myocardial infarction. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported in the literature of such a complication from PAU.

Left atrial appendage aneurysm secondary to eccentric severe ischemic mitral regurgitation.

Dilatation primarily confined to the left atrial appendage (LAA) is an unusual condition in nonrheumatic mitral valve disease. We report a case of 56-year-old male with a giant LAA secondary to ischemic severe mitral regurgitation without significant dilatation of the left atrial main chamber. The mitral regurgitation jet was directed toward the LAA, which we thought as the cause of disproportionate LAA enlargement.

Isolated pulmonic valve endocarditis in an adult patient with ventricular septal defect and infundibular pulmonary stenosis.

Ventricular septal defect associated with infundibular pulmonary stenosis is a relatively uncommon congenital cardiac defect. We report the first case of a patient with perimembranous small ventricular septal defect and infundibular stenosis suffered from pulmonary valve endocarditis and septic pulmonary embolism.

Flying saucer located at the basal septum.

Left ventricular thrombus formation is a frequent complication in patients with ischemic heart disease and is associated with a high risk of systemic embolization. Generally, thrombi localize at the apical segment. However, thrombus localized at the basal septum has not been reported yet. In this case, we discuss a flying saucer shaped mass located at the basal septum, which was later diagnosed as thrombus after anticoagulant therapy.

Anomalous left coronary artery arising from the right sinus of Valsalva: a case report.

We report a case of 56-year-old man whose coronary angiography showed a single coronary artery arising from a single ostium in the right sinus of Valsalva.

Unique spontaneous unhealed chronic multivessel coronary artery dissection in an elderly man: a case report and review of the literature.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is relatively uncommon. It often occurs in healthy, middle-aged women without overt risk factors for atherosclerosis and is associated with the peripartum period. The pattern and severity of presentation are variable. There are only 5 reports in the literature about multivessel involvement. The etiopathogenesis of SCAD is unclear. Treatment strategy is not standard but is usually tailored to clinical features. Long-term survival of patients with SCAD who have had no problem at the initial event is good. The authors report the first case of unhealed chronic multivessel SCAD in the literature.

Left ventricular diastolic function and circadian variation of blood pressure in essential hypertension.

The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the relationship between circadian blood pressure and left ventricular diastolic function in essential hypertension. The study population included 25 patients aged 56 +/- 18 years with non-dipper hypertension and 25 age- and sex-matched patients with dipper hypertension. They underwent conventional Doppler echocardiography and color tissue Doppler from apical 4- and 2-chamber views. In non-dipper patients, diastolic left ventricular function was reduced significantly. The transmitral E wave decreased (0.55 +/- 0.2 vs 0.62 +/- 0.2 m/s, P < 0.05), the transmitral A wave increased (0.77 +/- 0.1 vs 0.70 +/- 0.1 m/s, P < 0.01), the transmitral E/A ratio decreased (0.78 +/- 0.1 vs 0.86 +/- 0.2, P < 0.05), and the transmitral E-wave deceleration time increased in non-dipper patients (211 +/- 44 vs 196 +/- 42 ms, P < 0.05). The isovolumic relaxation time increased (112 +/- 15 vs 105 +/- 14 m/s, P < 0.05). The mean left ventricular myocardial velocities also differed significantly; the early diastolic velocity decreased (5.9 +/- 2. 1 vs 77 +/- 3.1 cm/s, P < 0.01), the late diastolic velocity increased (9.5 +/- 2.7 vs 8.7 +/- 1.6 cm/s, P < 0.05), and the E/A ratio decreased (0.68 +/- 0.55 vs 0.94 +/- 0.39, P < 0.01). These findings suggest that non-dipper hypertensive patients who have impaired left ventricular diastolic function should be identified early for careful follow-up and possible referral to a specialized center.

Effects of dipper and non-dipper status of essential hypertension on left atrial mechanical functions.

AIM: This study was designed in order to investigate the effects of dipper and non-dipper status of hypertension on left atrial mechanical (reservoir, conduit and booster pump) functions with left atrial volume measurements by means of two-dimensional echocardiography in untreated systemic hypertensive patients. METHOD: A total of 27 untreated dipper hypertensive patients, group I (15 female, 12 male, mean age 57+/-12 years); 23 untreated non-dipper hypertensive patients, group II (12 female, 11 male, mean age: 53+/-18 years); and 25 voluntary healthy individuals, group III (13 female, 12 male, mean age 53+/-10 years) were included into the study. Twenty-four hour blood pressure (BP) measurement was performed by the cuff-oscillometric method to evaluate the nocturnal decrease of BP. The patients whose night time mean blood pressure measurements were found 10% or more lower compared to mean day time measurements were classified as dipper hypertensive patients and the ones with a decrease of less than 10% were classified as non-dipper hypertensive patients. Left atrial (LA) volumes were measured echocardiographically according to biplane area-length method in apical four-chamber and two-chamber views. LA maximal volume (V(max)) was recorded at the onset of mitral opening, LA minimal volume (V(min)) was recorded at the onset of mitral closure and LA presystolic volume (V(p)) was recorded at the beginning of the atrial systole (p wave on ECG). All volume measurements were corrected to body surface area, and following LA emptying functions parameters were calculated: LA passive emptying volume (LAPEV)=V(max)-V(p), LA passive emptying fraction (LAPEF)=LAPEV/V(max), Conduit volume (CV)=left ventricular output volume-(V(max)-V(min)), LA active emptying volume (LAAEV)=V(p)-V(min), LA active emptying fraction (LAAEF)=LAAEV/V(p), LA total emptying volume (LATEV)=V(max)-V(min), LA total emptying fraction (LATEF)=LATEV/V(max). RESULTS: LA volume indexes, V(max), V(min), and V(p), were significantly increased in the hypertensive subgroups (groups I and II) than in controls (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, respectively), but no significant difference was found in the V(p) values between group I and group II. V(max) and V(min) were larger in non-dipper hypertensive group than in dipper hypertensive group (p<0.05 and p<0.05, respectively). LAPEV and LAPEF were observed to be significantly reduced in both dipper and non-dipper hypertensives than in control (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively), and this difference was more obvious in non-dipper than dipper cases (p<0.001). Conduit volume was significantly lower in hypertensive groups than controls (p<0.05). LA active emptying volume (p<0.001) and LAA active emptying fraction (p<0.001) were significantly greater in hypertensive cases than in controls. Furthermore, LA active emptying volume in non-dipper hypertensive subjects was significantly greater than dipper hypertensive cases (p<0.05). Left atrial total emptying volume and left atrial total emptying fraction in both hypertensive groups were similar to control (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Atrial reservoir and booster pump functions increase in hypertensive patients, but this result is more prominent in non-dipper hypertensives than in dipper hypertensive patients.

The chronic effect of rilmenidine on heart rate variability in patients with mild hypertension.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the chronic effect of rilmenidine on time domain indexes of heart rate variability in patients with mild hypertension. Twenty patients (12 males, eight females; mean age, 47 yr; age range, 38-55 yr), with untreated and newly diagnosed mild hypertension were studied. There was no evidence of diseases other than hypertension. All patients received 1 mg of rilmenidine once daily. If the diastolic blood pressure was still greater than 90 mm Hg after 4 weeks of active treatment, the dose was increased to 2 mg once daily. Twenty-four hour ambulatory electrocardiograms were recorded before, and 4 and 12 weeks after the start of therapy. Time domain parameters of heart rate variability were calculated. Rilmenidine therapy determined a marked decrease in blood pressure. At 4 weeks, rilmenidine induced a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and a further reduction was observed after 12 weeks. At 4 and 12 weeks, time domain parameters of heart rate variability and heart rate were not significantly different in the data obtained before therapy. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the administration of rilmenidine to patients with mild essential hypertension induced significant reductions in blood pressure, without any significant changes in time domain parameters of heart rate variability.

Pulmonary endarteritis and subsequent embolization to the lung as a complication of a patent ductus arteriosus--a case report.

The authors describe a case of pulmonary endarteritis and subsequent embolization to the lungs as a complication of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Although 2-dimensional echocardiography has been shown to be of great value in the diagnosis of patients with infective endocarditis, echocardiographic detection of vegetation within the pulmonary artery and subsequent embolization to the lung is extremely rare and, to our knowledge, has been previously reported only in a few cases. In brief, our case not only shows the importance of echocardiography in making this rare diagnosis but also emphasizes the role of echocardiography as an effective means of following up such a case.

Myocardial Ischemia caused by a coronary anomaly: left circumflex coronary artery arising from right sinus of valsalva.

We present the case of a patient in whom a previously undetected anomalous origin of the circumflex coronary artery caused myocardial ischemia and led to positive myocardial scintigraphic results. Subsequent coronary angiography showed that the left circumflex coronary artery arose from the right coronary ostium-an anomaly that has been associated with chest discomfort-without atherosclerotic lesions. The peripheral distribution of the left circumflex artery was normal. We describe the clinical and angiographic findings in our patient and discuss the relationship between coronary artery anomalies and ischemia.