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Background We hypothesized that a reversal of the physiological stiffness gradient, previously reported in end-stage renal disease, begins in the early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and that chronic inflammation produces a different arterial phenotype in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Objectives To assess the extent of arterial stiffening in the central (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, cf.-PWV) and peripheral arteries (carotid-radial pulse wave velocity, cr-PWV) and to explore the determinants of the stiffness gradient in UC and in CKD. Methods We enrolled 45 patients with UC, 45 patients with stage 3–4 CKD and 45 matched controls. Results Despite the comparable cf.-PWV, the cr-PWV was higher in patients with UC than in those with CKD (median: 8.7 vs. 7.5 m/s; p < 0.001) and, consequently, the PWV ratio was lower (median: 0.97 vs. 1.12; p < 0.001). In patients with CKD a stiffness mismatch was reported starting from stage 3B. The PWV ratio was associated with age and C-reactive protein (beta: 0.08 z-score, 95%CI 0.02–0.14; p = 0.01) or active disease (beta: 0.43 z-score, 95%CI 0.003–0.857; p = 0.048) in patients with UC and with age and glomerular filtration rate (beta: − 0.56 z-score, 95%CI − 1.05 to − 0.07; p = 0.02) in patients with CKD. Conclusions The arterial phenotype differed between UC and CKD. The reversal of the arterial stiffness gradient is evident in CKD patients starting from stage 3B but not in patients with UC and comparable cf.-PWV. In patients with UC, the stiffness of both elastic and muscular arteries is increased as a consequence of inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are associated with an increased cardiovascular risk that is not fully explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors but may be due to inflammation and mediated by an increased arterial stiffness. Aims: Study 1, to investigate the relationship between inflammation and arterial stiffening; Study 2, to look whether aortic stiffening is reduced by immunomodulatory therapy in IBD. Methods: Study 1 (Cross-sectional study): pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured in 74 IBD subjects (40 ulcerative colitis and 34 Crohn's disease) and 80 matched controls. Study 2 (Longitudinal study): the effect of therapy on PWV was measured at baseline and 3.4 ± 0.5 years later in 14 IBD subjects treated only with salicylates, 11 subjects treated with steroids and azathioprine, 7 subjects treated with anti TNF-alpha and 30 matched controls. Results: Study 1: All parameters were comparable between subjects with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Compared to controls, subjects with ulcerative colitis and those with Crohn's disease have both higher carotid-femoral PWV (7.0 ± 1.1, 7.8 ± 1.7 and 8.0 ± 1.6 m/s, respectively; P < 0.001) and carotid-radial PWV (7.2 ± 0.9, 8.8 ± 1.4 and 8.8 ± 1.3 m/s, respectively; P < 0.001). In fully adjusted models carotid-femoral PWV was positively associated with disease duration whereas carotid-radial PWV was associated with C-reactive protein and history of relapse. Study 2: in fully adjusted model carotid-femoral PWV increased significantly at follow-up in IBD subjects treated with salicylates but not in those treated with steroids and azathioprine or anti TNF-alpha. Conclusion: Increased arterial stiffness in IBD is dependent upon inflammation and reduced by immunomodulatory drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Cachexia is a serious complication of many cancers that is common in cancer and AIDS patients. However, the key factors and mechanisms involved in the development of cachexia are not yet understood. There is little data currently available regarding carnitine metabolism in patients with neoplasm and cachexia. Methods: Forty-six neoplastic patients with different localizations of their primary disease gave signed, informed consent before enrolling in the present study. They underwent routine laboratory investigation, including examination of the levels of the various forms of carnitine present in serum (i.e., long-chain acylcarnitine, short-chain acylcarnitine, soluble acid acylcarnitine, free carnitine, and total carnitine). These values were compared with those found in 30 cancer patients in good nutritional status as well as with those of 30 healthy control subjects. Results: In the comparison of serum plasma carnitine of cachectic patients versus controls, the difference in free carnitine was − 8.20 μmol/L (p =0.000); the difference in short-chain acylcarnitine − 2.60 μmol/L (p =0.029); the difference in soluble acid carnitine − 10.80 μmol/L (p =0.000); the difference in long-chain acylcarnitine − 0.40 μmol/L (p =0.036); and the difference in total carnitine −11.20 μmol/L (p =0.000). In the comparison of serum plasma carnitine of cachectic versus neoplastic patients in good nutritional status, the difference in free carnitine was −5.80 μmol/L (p =0.006); the difference in soluble acid carnitine − 7.20 μmol/L (p =0.000); and the difference in total carnitine − 7.50 μmol/L (p =0.000). Conclusion: Our study showed that, in the multifactorial pathogenesis of cachexia, the low serum levels of carnitine in terminal neoplastic patients, which are due to a decreased dietary intake as well as to an impaired endogenous synthesis of this substance, could play an important role. These low serum carnitine levels may also contribute to the development of cachexia in cancer patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and aims We assess the respective relationship of high depressive symptoms and antidepressant use (ATD) with baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in subjects from the community who enrolled the Paris Prospective Study III. Methods Recruitment took place in a large health preventive centre in Paris (France), between May 2008 and June 2012. BRS was investigated by spectral analysis of the spontaneous carotid distension rate and RR intervals using non-invasive high-resolution ultrasound carotid-echotracking. A total score ≥7 on a 13-item standardized questionnaire defined the presence of high depressive symptoms. Information on ATD use was obtained on a face-to-face interview with a medical doctor who checked the most recent medical prescriptions and/or medical package. Results There were 9213 participants aged 50–75 years (38.6% of women), including 5.6% with high-depressive symptoms and 5.2% on ATD. High depressive symptoms were not associated with low BRS (below the median) even in unadjusted logistic regression analysis (OR = 1.09; 95%CI: 0.91–1.30). Instead, ATD use was related to low BRS in multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.04–1.54). This association remains after adjusting for and matching on propensity score of receiving ATD. A specific association with serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors was observed (OR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.16–3.22). Conclusions ATD use and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors in particular, but not high depressive symptoms, is associated with low BRS. If confirmed, these results may bring novel insights into the mechanisms linking depressive symptoms and/or ATD use with cardiovascular disease onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiorenal syndrome type 4 (CRS type 4), or chronic renocardiac syndrome, has been defined as “chronic abnormalities in renal function leading to cardiac disease” and recognizes the extreme burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is common and increasingly recognized as a risk factor for CVD. Even though the treatment for CVD has dramatically improved over the past decades, it still takes responsibility for up to 50% of deaths in CKD patients. For this reason, patients with CKD should be thoroughly evaluated for cardiovascular risk factors that require careful management, given the significant burden of CRS type 4 on the healthcare system. This review focuses on the most significant conventional and non-conventional CVD risk factors related to CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The aim of the present study was to appraise the comparative ability of different ACEF models incorporating glomerular filtration rate or creatinine clearance estimated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease [ACEFMDRD] or Cokcroft-Gault [ACEFCG] equations, respectively, over the original ACEF score (ACEFSrCr) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 537 patients were analyzed by different measures of discrimination, calibration and net reclassification improvement (NRI). Results: A significant gradient in all-cause mortality was consistently seen with all the models at 30days, 1year and 5years. The comparison of the three models showed that the best balance in terms of discrimination and calibration for all-cause mortality was offered by the ACEFCG at 30days, the ACEFMDRD at 1year and similarly by the ACEFCG and ACEFMDRD at 5years. At 30days, the NRI was +32.9% for ACEFMDRD over ACEFSrCr and +16% for ACEFCG over ACEFSrCr. At 1year, the NRI was 13.8% for ACEFMDRD over ACEFSrCr and −7.8% for ACEFCG over ACEFSrCr. At 5years, the NRI was +7.7% for both the ACEFMDRD and the ACEFCG over the ACEFSrCr. Conclusions: In patients undergoing PCI, the ACEF score is associated with satisfactory early-, mid- and long-term discrimination regardless of the definition of renal function. However, incorporating glomerular filtration rate or creatinine clearance by the MDRD or CG formulas in the ACEF score yields superior calibration compared with the original SrCr-based equation, with the ACEFMDRD displaying superior reclassification ability over the ACEFCG and ACEFSrCr at 30days and 1year. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the present study was to externally validate the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) II (ESII) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to compare its performance with that of its previously released versions, named additive (addES) and logistic EuroSCORE (logES). A total of 537 patients undergoing PCI were analyzed by different measurements of discrimination, calibration, and global accuracy. A significant gradient in all-cause mortality was seen with all the models at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years, with the exception of the ESII at 30 days. The ESII had the lowest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve at all time points compared with its previous version, being 0.83 (vs 0.90 for both addES and logES) at 30 days, 0.75 (vs 0.82 for both addES and logES) at 1 year, and 0.69 (vs 0.77 for addES and 0.76 for logES) at 5 years. However, the ESII displayed a better calibration than the logES at 30 days, whereas both scores were miscalibrated at 1 and 5 years. The Brier score displayed similar global accuracy between the ESII and logES. In conclusion, the ESII is better calibrated than the logES at 30 days but does not represent a step forward in discrimination and global accuracy compared with its previous versions for predicting early- and long-term mortality of patients undergoing PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]