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Copyright of Revista Española de Cardiología (18855857) is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background Traditionally, procalcitonin (PCT) is considered a diagnostic marker of bacterial infections. However, slightly elevated levels of PCT have also been found in patients with heart failure. In this context, it has been suggested that PCT may serve as a proxy for underrecognized infection, endotoxemia, or heightened proinflammatory activity. Nevertheless, the clinical utility of PCT in this setting is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the association between PCT and the risk of long-term outcomes. Methods and results We measured at admission PCT of 261 consecutive patients admitted for acute heart failure (AHF) after excluding active infection. Cox and negative binomial regression methods were used to evaluate the association between PCT and the risk of death and recurrent rehospitalizations, respectively. At a median follow-up of 2 years (IQR: 1.0–2.8), 108 deaths, 170 all-cause rehospitalizations and 96 AHF-rehospitalizations were registered. In an adjusted analysis, including well-established risk factors such as natriuretic peptides and indices of renal function, the logarithm of PCT was associated with a higher risk of death (HR = 1.43, CI 95%: 1.12–1.82; p = 0.004), all-cause rehospitalizations (IRR = 1.22, CI 95% 1.02–1.44; p = 0.025) and AHF-rehospitalizations (IRR = 1.28, CI 95%: 1.02–1.61; p = 0.032). The association with these endpoints persisted after adjustment for other inflammatory biomarkers such as white blood cells, C-reactive protein and interleukins. Conclusion In patients with AHF and no evidence of infection, PCT was independently and positively associated with the risk of long-term death and recurrent rehospitalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Low lymphocyte count (LLC), a surrogate for inflammation, has emerged as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes, especially new ischemic events. To identify patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS) who benefit from an invasive revascularization strategy remains a challenge. We sought to determine if patients with high-risk NSTEACS who exhibited LLC have a greater reduction in long-term post-discharge myocardial infarction (MI) when managed under a revascularization invasive strategy (RIS) as compared with conservative strategy (CS). Methods: Nine hundred seventy two consecutive patients with high-risk NSTEACS were treated under two revascularization strategies (RS): 1) CS, from January 2001 to October 2002 (345 patients; 35.5%) and 2) RIS, from November 2002 to May 2005 (627 patients; 64.5%). LLC was defined as lymphocytes count ≤1200cells/ml (1 vs. 2–4 quartiles). The association between the type of RS and MI was stratified by lymphocyte count status and assessed by Cox regression adapted for competing events. Results: At 3-year follow-up, 145 deaths (14.9%), 135 MI (13.9%) and 76 revascularization procedures (7.8%) were registered. In a multivariable setting, LLC patients exhibited a greater MI risk reduction when managed under RIS (HR: 0.40; 95% CI=0.22–0.72, p =0.003). Conversely, when LLC was not present, no difference in the rate of MI was detected between the two RS. Conclusions: LLC identifies a subgroup of patients with greater reduction in the risk of postdischarge MI when a RIS is applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]