Peri-event plasma PCSK9 and hsCRP after an acute myocardial infarction correlate with early deterioration of left ventricular ejection fraction: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: It is important to identify patients at increased risk of worsening of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after a myocardial infarction (MI). We aimed to identify the association of various potential biomarkers with LVEF impairment after an MI in South American patients. METHODS: We studied adult patients admitted to a University Hospital and diagnosed with an acute MI. Plasma concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP3) were determined in samples drawn shortly after the event. Participants had a follow-up visit at least 45 days after the event. The primary endpoint was defined as any decline in LVEF at follow-up relative to baseline. RESULTS: The study included 106 patients (77.4% men, 22.6% women), mean age was 64.1, mean baseline LVEF was 56.6, 19% had a prior MI. We obtained a follow-up evaluation in 100 (94.4%) of participants, mean follow-up time was 163 days. There was a significant correlation between baseline PCSK9 and hsCRP (r = 0.39, p < 0.001). Baseline hsCRP concentrations were higher in patients who developed the endpoint than in those who did not (32.1 versus 21.2 mg/L, p = 0.066). After multivariate adjustment, baseline PCSK9, male sex and age were significantly associated with impairment in LVEF. The absolute change in LVEF was inversely correlated with baseline hsCRP (standardized coefficient = - 0.246, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: High plasma levels of PCSK9 and hsCRP were associated with early decreases in LVEF after an MI in Latin American patients.

Tetralogía de Fallot y embarazo / Tetralogy of Fallot and pregnancy

La tetralogía de Fallot es la enfermedad cardiaca congénita cianótica más común y requiere una corrección quirúrgica temprana. En la actualidad son cada vez más las mujeres que alcanzan la edad fértil posterior a la corrección quirúrgica de esta entidad, tolerando durante la adolescencia y la vida adulta las secuelas de este procedimiento. Los reportes de casos recientes evidencian que la cardiopatía mayor corregida no es una contraindicación para el embarazo. A continuación se describe el caso de una paciente con antecedente de corrección quirúrgica de tetralogía de Fallot e insuficiencia pulmonar severa secundaria a esta, quien llevó su embarazo a término sin complicaciones.

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most frequent cyanotic congenital pathology and requires an early surgical correction. Nowadays, more women reach childbearing age after surgical repair of this pathology, thus tolerating the after-effects of this procedure during adolescence and adulthood. Recent case reports show that a corrected mayor congenital heart disease does not preclude pregnancy. The following case report describes a patient with previous surgical correction of Tetralogy of Fallot and severe pulmonary regurgitation who carried her pregnancy to term without complications.