Evaluation of Tp-Te Interval and Tp-Te/QT Ratio in Patients with Coronary Slow Flow Tp-Te/QT Ratio and Coronary Slow Flow.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary slow flow (CSF) phenomenon is described by angiographically normal coronary arteries with delayed opacification of the distal vasculature. Several studies have suggested that the interval from the peak to the end of the electrocardiographic T wave (Tp-Te) may correspond to the transmural dispersion of the repolarization and that increased Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/QT ratio are associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ventricular repolarization by using Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/QT ratio in patients with CSF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 50 CSF patients (40 male, mean age 48.6±12.5 years) and 40 control individuals (23 male, mean age 47.8±12.5 years). Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/QT ratio were measured from the 12-lead electrocardiogram. These parameters were compared in groups. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the study groups were comparable. In electrocardiographic parameters analysis, QT and corrected QT were similar in CSF patients compared to the controls (357±35.2 vs 362±38.0 milliseconds and 419±25.8 vs 430±44.2 milliseconds, all p value >0.05). Tp-Te interval, Tp-Te/QT and Tp-Te/QTc ratio were significantly higher in CSF patients (85±13.7 vs 74±9.9 milliseconds and 0.24±0.03 vs 0.20±0.02 and 0.20±0.03 vs 0.17±0.02 all p value <0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that QTd, Tp-Te interval and Tp-Te/QT ratio are prolonged in patients with CSF.

White Blood Cell Subtypes and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Prediction of Coronary Thrombus Formation in Non-ST-Segment Elevated Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Leukocytes are reported as crucial not only for plaque activation but also in thrombus formation in acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). Among the markers of inflammation, in coronary artery disease neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to have the greatest predictive power of poor outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate the association of NLR with coronary thrombus in patients with non-ST-segment elevated ACSs (NST-ACSs). A total of 251 patients were hospitalized with a diagnosis of NST-ACS including non-ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris. Coronary angiographies were performed. In 167 patients, coronary thrombus was detected. Between the patient groups with and without coronary thrombus, neutrophil count, platelet count, and NLR are significantly increased, and lymphocyte count is significantly decreased in the group with coronary thrombus as compared to patient group without coronary thrombus. Leukocyte count and NLR may give an indication about the presence of coronary thrombus. In NST-ACS, blood parameters may give valuable information about the status of the coronary arteries.

The effect of non-dipper and dipper blood pressure patterns on aortic elasticity in patients with metabolic syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of blood pressure (BP) rhythm on aortic functions in patients with metabolic syndrome. Seventy patients with newly diagnosed hypertension who fulfilled the metabolic syndrome criteria according to the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (NCEP/ATP-III) were evaluated with 24-hour BP holter monitoring. According to BP rhythm, 35 patients with dipper BP pattern and 35 patients with non-dipper BP pattern were enrolled as two groups in our study. Systolic and diastolic diameters of the ascending aorta were measured by M-mode echocardiography and aortic functions (aortic strain, distensibility, and stiffness index) were calculated. The nocturnal systolic and diastolic BPs were significantly higher in non-dipper patients than the dipper group. According to clinical parameters including age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, clinical systolic, and diastolic BPs, we did not find significantly difference between the two groups. Aortic strain was significantly higher (6.63 ± 3.37 vs. 1.81 ± 0.92; P < .0001) and aortic distensibility was lower (2.38 ± 1.18 cm(-2)/dyn/10(-6) and 6.66 ± 3.67 cm(-2)/dyn/10(-6); P < .001) in non-dipper group. These findings suggest that aortic functions were prominently deteriorated in non-dipper hypertensive patients than dippers with metabolic syndrome.

Variation of bioactive substances in Hypericum montbretii during plant growth.

The present study was conducted to determine phenologic and morphogenetic variation of chlorogenic acid and flavonoids, as rutin, hyperoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, quercitrin, quercetin and viteksin content of Hypericum montbretii growing in Turkey. Wild growing plants were harvested at vegetative, floral budding, full flowering, fresh fruiting and mature fruiting stages and dissected into stem, leaf and reproductive tissues and assayed for bioactive compounds by HPLC method. Accumulation of rutin and quercetin was not detected in plant parts of H. montbretii during plant growth. Chlorogenic acid and hyperoside content in whole plant was decreased linearly with advancing of development stages and reached their highest level at vegetative stage. On the contrary, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, quercitrin and viteksin content in whole plant increased during the course of seasonal development and the highest level of those compounds was observed at the stage of full flowering. Leaves did not produce apigenin-7-O-glucoside, while viteksin was not detectable in stem and reproductive tissues. Depending on development stages, reproductive parts had the highest level of apigenin-7-O-glucoside and leaves produced major amount of chlorogenic acid, hyperoside and viteksin whereas accumulation of quercitrin was prevailed in stem tissue. Such kind of data could be useful for elucidation of the chemotaxonomical significance of these compounds and medicinal evaluation of this species.