We studied 403 consecutive patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). This population was divided into tertiles according to the SYNTAX score (SXscore). The high SXscore group was defined as an SXscore ≥13, and the low SXscore group as an SXscore <13. The total bilirubin (sTB) and direct bilirubin levels of patients were significantly higher in the high SXscore group (P = .001 and P = .007, respectively). There was a correlation between sTB and SXscore (r = .495; P = .005). On multivariate linear regression analyses, age (β = .100; P = .041), sTB levels (β = .171; P = .005), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (β = .121; P = .014), and troponin-I (β = .124; P = .011) remained independent correlates of high SXscore. The mean follow-up period was 18.2 months. All-cause mortality rate was higher in the high SXscore group but did not reach significance (P = .058). In conclusion, high sTB level is independently associated with severity of coronary artery disease in patients with NSTEMI. However, no association was found with long-term mortality.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the levels of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) with the severity of atherosclerosis and to determine whether or not the RDW level on admission is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Materials and Methods: A total of 335 consecutive patients with NSTEMI were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into high (n = 105) and low (n = 230) SYNTAX groups. The high SYNTAX group was defined as patients with a value in the third tertile (SYNTAX score, SXscore ≥12), while the low SYNTAX group was defined as those with a value in the lower 2 tertiles (SXscore <12). The high RDW group (n = 152) was defined as patients with RDW >14.25% and the low RDW group (n = 183) as those with RDW ≤14.25%. All-cause mortality was followed up to 38 months. Results: The mean follow-up period was 18 ± 11 months. The RDW levels of patients were significantly higher in the high SYNTAX group than in the low SYNTAX group (15.2 ± 1.8 vs. 14.2 ± 1.2, p < 0.001). Pearson's coefficients were used to determine the degree of association between RDW levels and SXscore and also between RDW levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. There was a significant correlation between RDW levels and SXscore (r = 0.460, p < 0.001). Also, there was a significant correlation between RDW levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r = 0.180, p = 0.001). All-cause mortality rate was not significantly different between the high and low RDW groups (log-rank, p = 0.621). Conclusion: RDW levels were independently associated with high SXscore but were not associated with long-term mortality in NSTEMI patients.
Background
Immune inflammatory mechanisms have crucial roles not only in the presence but also in the progression of aortic dissection (AD). Monocyte count to high‐density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) has recently emerged as an indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress. Thus, we aimed to examine the prognostic value of MHR in patients with AD.
Methods
A total of 204 consecutive patients with Stanford type‐A dissection who managed surgically were retrospectively enrolled in the present study. Recruited patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of intrahospital death; Group 1 consisted of 165 patients who were discharged alive, and Group 2 consisted of 39 patients who died during index hospitalization. Two groups were compared with respect to baseline clinical data and admission laboratory parameters including MHR.
Results
The mean age of the Group 1 was 55.2 ± 12.3 years, while the mean age of the Group 2 was 60.6 ± 10.8 years (p = .012). The patients who were discharged alive (Group 1) had significantly lower MHR than the deceased patients (Group 2) (0.02099 ± 0.00140 vs. 0.02848 ± 0.01513, p = .004). At receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, MHR = 0.020699 had 67% sensitivity and 59% specificity in predicting intrahospital mortality among patients with AD. In multivariate analysis, MHR was found to be an independent risk factor of intrahospital mortality among those (β = 1.094, p = .011).
Conclusion
MHR is an inexpensive and easily calculated biomarker, which is useful to predict intrahospital mortality in patients with Stanford type‐A dissection who managed surgically.
BackgroundAlthough majority of the previous studies have shown a good correlation between enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry in terms of cytokines, two laboratory methods usually were compared with the regression analysis and correlation in the literature. This study aimed at comparing the ELISA and flow cytometry assay for measuring cytokines by using two different statistical methods, regression analysis and Bland-Altman plot.Materials and methodsFifty patients, diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia and expecting high level serum cytokines, and 30 healthy volunteers, expecting normal level serum cytokines, were enrolled in the study. The interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured using ELISA, and compared with obtained levels using flow cytometric method.ResultsAlthough regression analysis showed that the two methods are compatible with measurements of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, they tended to show dissimilarity with measurements of IL-1β and TNF-α based on Bland-Altman graphs.ConclusionAccording to Bland-Altman plot, our results providing evidence of ELISA and flow cytometry assays were compatible with each other for IL-1β and IL-6 measurements compared to TNF-α measurement. However, our study has a small number of participants, hence this study need to be confirmed by investigations involving more participants.
Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between skin parameters and CAD.
Materials and Methods
The study included 50 patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease as the patient group and 45 volunteers without any known coronary artery disease as the control group. The participants' skin TEWL, pH, temperature, electrical capacitance, sebum, and elasticity values were measured using noninvasive methods at the forehead, back, and forearm.
Findings
Skin temperature was significantly higher in the back and forehead regions in the patient group. No difference was found between the sebum values of the patient and control groups at the back and forehead. A significantly higher result was obtained for the forearm area. The pH was significantly lower in the patients' forearm, although the obtained values were within the normal range. The TEWL was significantly higher in patients in all three regions. In terms of flexibility, R2 was significantly higher in the back and forehead regions of the patient group, and the R6 was significantly higher in the patient group in all three regions. In addition, there was no correlation between skin parameter and SYNTAX score increase measurements.
Conclusion
It can be suggested that skin sebum and TEWL measurements can be accepted as cheap and noninvasive methods of predicting CAD.
Hyaluronan is a glycosaminoglycan, one of the chief components of the extracellular matrix. The aim of the present study is to investigate plasma hyaluronan levels among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This prospective study enrolled 56 consecutive patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention within 2 hours after admission. Plasma levels of hyaluronan were measured at the time of admission (baseline), and on the 7th and 30th day after AMI. Echocardiographic examinations were performed at baseline and on the 30th day after AMI. The hyaluronan levels were 33.2 ± 3.1 ng/ml (mean ± SD) at baseline, increased on the 7th day (46.2 ± 5.9 ng/ml), and continued to remain high on the 30th day after AMI (50.1 ± 5.1 ng/ml). There were significant correlations of the hyaluronan levels between baseline and on the 7th day (r = 0.535, p < 0.001) and between baseline and on the 30th day (r = 0.263, p = 0.05). Significant correlations were also found between hyaluronan levels on the 30th day, and the peak levels of CK-MB (r = 0.429, p = 0.001) or highly sensitive troponin levels (r = 0.360, p = 0.006). The hyaluronan levels were significantly higher on the 30th day after AMI in patients with anterior infarction, but not in patients with non-anterior infarction (p = 0.01 vs. p = 0.653). In conclusion, this is the first report that demonstrates the increase of plasma hyaluronan levels among patients with AMI.
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