Adiponectin - stratification biomarker in diastolic cardiac dysfunction.

This study does not propose to elucidate how adiponectin secretion is regulated, but how its adiponectin concentration is an indicator of heart disease. About adiponectin, it is not known whether it is functionally an enzyme, or very likely a cytokine/chemokine/hormone, secreted by fat cells/adipocytes in the abdomen. Abdominal fat secretes 67 hormones, and all of which cause disease. For example, adiponectin generates diabetes and ischaemic heart disease via dyslipidemia. Based on clinical symptoms, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters, a group of 208 patients with diastolic cardiac dysfunction with or without preserved systolic function, developed on a background of painful chronic ischaemic heart disease, stable angina on exertion, was constituted. The serum levels of adiponectin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were measured. Using the identified values, it was appreciated whether adiponectin correlates with the type of any of the two conditions, so that it can be recognised as a diagnostic and risk stratification marker.

Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy for Patients with Locally Advanced Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma.

SCOPE: neoadjuvant RCT influence on early and long term postoperative outcomes in patients with locally advanced esophagogastric junction adenocarcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Sixty two patients with locally advanced esophagogastric junction adenocarcinomas were treated at the Center of Excellence in Esophageal Surgery at St. Mary Hospital between 2010-2017. According to the Siewert classification, the group comprised of type I - 11 patients, type II - 18 patients and type III - 33 patients. Only 17 patients received preoperative RCT. The surgical treatment for the 62 resected patients was: abdominal extended gastrectomy - 40 patients, Ivor-Lewis - 13 patients, McKeown esophagogastrectomy (3 incisions) - 5 patients and transhiatal esophagectomy - 4 patients. Results: Postoperative morbidity was 46.77% and was mainly represented by fistulas in 17 patients and pulmonary complications such as pleurisy,pneumonia and ARDS in 12 patients. Fistula occurred in 15 cases: grade 1 - 2 patients, grade 2 - 10 patients, grade 3 - 5 patients. Postoperative mortality was 4.8% (p_value = 0.017980 Fisher's Exact Test). Downstaging was observed in 7 patients. I did not encounter statistically significant differences in long term survival. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant RCT had no impact on postoperative morbidity, but statistically influenced postoperative mortality.