Background The significance of dynamic changes in a depressed ST-segment in the reciprocal changes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction ...(STEMI) is unknown, so the aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of reciprocal ST-segment depression normalization (STN) on long-term mortality in patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI. Methods and Results Data for 247 consecutive patients with STEMI were analyzed; 84 patients were excluded because of exclusion or incomplete inclusion criteria, so finally, 163 patients successfully treated with primary PCI were included. The study group was divided into 3 subgroups according to percentage of STN: poor STN (<30%), partial STN (30-70%), complete STN (>70%). Complete STN occurred in 63%, partial in 24% and poor in 13% of patients. STN correlated with late mortality (15% vs 28% vs 38% respectively, p=0.012). Patients who died during the follow-up period had a lower mean percentage reduction of initial ST-segment depression after PCI (50% vs 75%, p=0.001). Percentage reduction of initial ST-segment depression after PCI was a significant and independent risk factor of long-term mortality (odds ratio 1.01; 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.02; p=0.02). Conclusions These data revealed the use of reciprocal changes normalization as a novel tool for assessment of long-term risk of death in patients after successful primary PCI for STEMI. (Circ J 2007; 71: 1851 - 1856)
Abstract Background GRACE, TIMI, Zwolle, and CADILLAC are risk scores designed for predicting short-term outcome after acute coronary syndromes. The aim of our study was to test their utility for a ...prognosis of 5-year survival in a “real-life” population of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary interventions (pPCI). Methods Our registry consisted of consecutive patients with STEMI treated with pPCI. Five-year follow-up was performed with all-cause mortality as the end-point. Results Out of 505 patients (mean age 58.6 ± 11.3 years) 32 died during the first 30 days (6.3%) and an additional 74 within 5 years (15.6%). PCI was successful in 95.2% ( n = 481). Prognostic values ( c statistics) for predicting 5-year mortality equaled: 0.742 (CI 0.69–0.79) for the GRACE risk score, 0.727 (CI 0.67–0.78) for TIMI, 0.72 (CI 0.67–0.77) for Zwolle, and 0.687 (CI 0.63–0.74) for CADILLAC. In a univariate analysis all the scores were associated with the 5-year outcome. Conclusions GRACE, TIMI, and Zwolle risk scores predicted well 5-year all-cause mortality in patients with STEMI treated with pPCI. Our data show that the usefulness of initial bedside risk assessment can be further extended for long-term follow-up.
Abstract Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in both inflammatory reaction and myocardial response to stress. Its effects largely depend on the concentration of the soluble ...receptors (sIL-6R and sgp130). We investigated the production of IL-6, sIL-6R and sgp130 by the heart during ischemia and reperfusion. Methods: The levels of IL-6 were determined in blood of 34 patients with first myocardial infarction (STEMI), left anterior descending (LAD) artery occlusion, otherwise normal coronaries, without significant co-morbidities and 16 comparable subjects with stable ischemic heart disease and lesion in LAD. Blood samples from coronary sinus (CS) and aorta (Ao) were drawn before percutaneous intervention (PCI), immediately after and at the end of the procedure. Venous blood from 30 healthy volunteers served as control. Results: STEMI patients presented high IL-6 concentrations that increased further after reperfusion when its levels in CS became significantly higher than in Ao. In both groups prior to the PCI there were significantly higher concentrations of sIL-6R in Ao than in CS. This difference disappeared immediately after reperfusion. STEMI patients who experienced cardiovascular complications had higher IL-6 concentration and higher transcardiac sIL-6R gradient than patients with event-free hospitalisation. This association was confirmed in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Myocardial infarction increases concentration of IL-6 that is further elevated by reperfusion. A transcardiac gradient of sIL-6R during ischemia may indicate that large amounts of soluble IL-6 receptors are bound to the infarcted heart and thus affect signal transduction. IL-6 and initial sIL-6R gradient may portend complications in STEMI patients.
Abstract
Aims. The aim of the study was to determine whether a high dose of atorvastatin lowers blood pressure (BP) in normolipemic patients with well controlled primary arterial hypertension and if ...this effect is associated with alteration of biomarkers of endothelial function and oxidative stress. In this open-label study, normolipemic patients (n=56) were randomized in the proportion of 2:1 to receive atorvastatin 80 mg daily for 3 months (statin-treated, ST n=39), or to previous therapy (statin-free, SF). BP was measured using a 24-h ambulatory BP measurement device. Plasma levels of 6-keto-PGF1α (prostacyclin metabolite), serum nitric oxide (NO) and levels of autoantibodies immunoglobulin G against oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) were measured. Major findings. The mean change in systolic BP and diastolic BP for ST was - 5.7 mmHg (95% CI -4.1 to -7.2 mmHg) and -3.9 mmHg (95% CI -2.7 to -5.0 mmHg), respectively. Hypotensive statin effect was independent of lipid lowering. No change of BP in SF patients was observed. In ST, prostacyclin metabolites and NO concentrations were not significantly increased and autoantibodies against ox-LDL concentrations did not change. In ST, the decrease in BP correlated with increase in NO and decrease in autoantibodies against ox-LDL. Principal conclusion. High-dose atorvastatin resulted in reduction of BP independently of lipid-lowering effect, changes in endothelial function and oxidative stress, but it was related to the increase in NO and decrease in autoantibodies against ox-LDL. However, because of the open design of the study, these results should be carefully debated.
We hypothesize that higher morbidity of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the out-of-office hours differences in outcome after myocardial infarction may depend on ...the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines. The aim of the study was to determine the relation between the time of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and local concentration of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its soluble receptors (sIL-6R and sgp130) in patients with STEMI.
Methods and results: The study included 32 patients with invasively treated left anterior descending artery occlusion and no significant co-morbidities. Blood samples were drawn from coronary sinus and aorta before and after intervention. Patients admitted in the afternoon (13–20) presented significantly higher mean IL-6 levels in all samples than patients admitted in the morning. There was a positive correlation between time of intervention and concentrations of IL-6 in all samplings, but also with transcardiac IL-6 gradient at the end of procedure and IL-6 increase during PCI. We did not find any significant association between time of PCI and concentrations of sIL-6R and sgp130, time from pain to balloon, angiographic parameters or medical history.
Conclusions: Coronary concentration of IL-6 in patients with STEMI is significantly higher in the afternoon than in the morning. This might be involved in increased morbidity of those patients.
We sought to determine if atorvastatin lowers blood pressure in patients with previously diagnosed and well-controlled essential arterial hypertension and if this effect could be related to ...anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. Among 92 patients with essential arterial hypertension, we studied 56 non-smoking and normolipemic: 39 were randomized to receive 80 mg atorvastatin daily for 3 months (statin-treated patients, ST), and the rest continued a previous hypotensive therapy (statin-free patients, SF). Blood pressure was measured using a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement device. Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total antioxidant status (TAS) and plasma peroxides (assessed by Oxystat) were measured in both groups. The mean change in systolic BP (SBP) for atorvastatin was -5.7 mmHg (95% confidence interval CI, -4.1 to -7.2 mmHg), and the mean change in diastolic BP (DBP) was -3.9 mmHg (95% CI, -2.7 to -5.0 mmHg). No change in BP in SF patients was observed. In the ST group, hs-CRP and peroxides did not significantly decrease. In the SF group, concentrations of hs-CRP proceeded to decrease while peroxides increased. In the ST group, changes in hs-CRP correlated with changes in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.41, p = 0.013 and r = 0.35, p = 0.04, respectively) but did not correlate with changes in BP. The hypotensive statin effect was independent of the hypolipemic effect. During three months of observation, TAS concentrations in both groups remained stable. In this randomized study, additionally administered atorvastatin to non-smoking and normolipemic patients with well-controlled essential arterial hypertension resulted in reduction of BP. This effect was not followed by significant changes in hs-CRP, TAS or Oxystat concentrations. The hypotensive effect of atorvastatin did not depend on anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative or hypolipemic actions.
We present a case of a 58 year-old patient with metastatic malignant cardiac tumour in whom the first manifestation of heart involvement was cardiac tamponade.
Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is a rare disease which can be easily overlooked in the absence of typical pericardial calcification. One of its most frequent manifestations is pleural effusion. We ...present a case report of a patient with unrecognised CP in whom plerocentesis led to haemodynamic collapse, and we speculate about the potential pathomechanism. No obvious criterion of CP or severe systolic dysfunction was found in baseline echocardiography. We consider that patients with advanced CP are remarkably prone to haemodynamic decompensation secondary to pleural drain.
TIMI Risk Score for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was developed in a cohort of patients treated with fibrinolysis. It was though to predict in-hospital and short-term prognosis. Later ...studies validated this approach in large cohorts of patients, regardless of the applied treatment and presented its good power to predict 30-day mortality.
We applied the TIMI Risk Score to our registry of STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous intervention (pPCI) to validate the possibility to predict one-year survival.
Our registry comprised 494 consecutive patients (mean age 58.5+/-11.3 years) with STEMI treated with pPCI who were followed for approximately one year. STEMI was diagnosed based on typical criteria: chest pain, ECG changes and rise in myocardial necrosis markers. In all patients TIMI Risk Score for STEMI was calculated and they were divided into three groups: low risk (0-5 points), medium risk (6-7) and high risk (>7 points). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with Cox and log-rank tests as well as c statistics from receiver-operator curves (ROC) were used for statistical analysis.
TIMI 3 flow was obtained in 95.5% of patients. Median TIMI risk score was 4 (ranging from 0 to 10). During follow-up there were 47 deaths (9.5%). There was a statistically significant difference in survival between all risk groups both in 30-day and one-year follow-up (p <0.001 log-rank test). TIMI Risk Score had good power to predict 30-day (c statistic 0.834, 95% CI 0.757-0.91, p <0.0001) as well as one-year mortality (c statistic 0.809, 95% CI 0.739-0.878, p <0.0001). Interestingly, when we excluded from the analysis all patients who died during the first 30 days, TIMI Risk score maintained its very good prognostic value. All analysed risk groups significantly differed between each other with respect to mortality (p <0.05, log-rank test) and the c statistic was 0.745 (95% CI 0.612-0.879, p <0.0002). In multivariate logistic regression analysis TIMI Risk Score was one of the independent risk factors of death during one-year follow-up (OR 1.59, p <0.001).
TIMI Risk Score accurately defines the population of STEMI patients who are at high risk of death not only during the first 30 days, but also during a long-term follow-up. This simple score should be included in the discharge letters because it contains very useful information for further care.
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