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Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystemic disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria that is specific to pregnancy and associated with maternal and fetal morbidity-mortality.To assess right heart structure and function in PE by echocardiography using conventional and tissue Doppler techniques.In total, 67 women with untreated PE and 46 matched healthy pregnant women were included. PE was defined according to the ACOG (2002) criteria. Right and left heart functions were evaluated using transthoracic two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography with color Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging techniques.Right ventricular basal and outflow tract diameters and free wall thickness, right atrial end-systolic maximum diameter, and area were significantly higher in the PE group than the control group (p0.05). Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, isovolumic acceleration time, tissue Doppler-derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (S'), right ventricle fractional area change, and myocardial performance index (Tei) were significantly lower in the PE group than the controls (p0.05).PE does not only affect the left side of the heart but also the right side. This finding may open new scenarios, because right ventricular dysfunction may also be responsible for PE-related morbidity.

Introduction The coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) has been associated with myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, life-threatening arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death and increased cardiovascular mortality similar to coronary artery disease (CAD). Possible underlying mechanisms of CSFP are endothelial dysfunction, chronic inflammation, microvascular dysfunction and diffuse atherosclerosis. Soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that sLOX-1 might be associated with CSFP, and aimed to research the relationship between sLOX-1 and CSFP. Material and methods Forty patients with angiographically proven CSFP and 43 patients with a normal coronary flow pattern (NCFP) were included in this study. Coronary blood flow was measured according to the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) frame count method. sLOX-1 levels were measured in all study subjects. Results Serum levels of sLOX-1 were significantly higher in the CSFP group than the NCFP group (1061.80 ±422.20 ng/ml vs. 500.043 ±282.97 ng/ml, p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis including sLOX-1, MPV, GGT and uric acid levels revealed a significant association between sLOX-1 levels and CSFP (Exp (B)/OR: 1.006, 95% CI: 1.002–1.010, p = 0.001). Conclusions The present study demonstrated that serum sLOX-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with CSFP and there was a strong association between high sLOX-1 levels and CSFP. High serum sLOX-1 levels may have an important role in the pathogenesis of CSFP. Future studies are needed to confirm these results.

INTRODUCTION In many studies that are aimed to determine the psychological profile of patients admitted to the emergency unit with non-cardiac angina (NCA), it was indicated that psychiatric problems, less effective problem-solving, and alexithymia are more common in NCA compared with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. In this study, aiming to find predictive psychological clinical features, we compared the temperament, anxiety, and depression scores of patients with NCA and ACS. METHODS Sociodemographic variables of 63 patients (n=41 NCA, n=22 ACS) who were admitted to the emergency unit with chest pain were recorded. TEMPS-A scale was used for defining temperamental features, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety and depression levels of patients in both groups. Sociodemographic variables and TEMPS-A and HADS scores were compared with χ2 and independent-groups t-test between the NCA and ACS groups. RESULTS The NCA and ACS groups were similar in terms of sociodemographic variables. There was no statistical difference between groups in HDS (p=.12) and HAS (p=.39) scores and TEMPS-A scale depressive (p=.41), cyclothymic (p=.08), hyperthymic (p=.06), and anxious (p=.29) temperament scores. But, irritable temperament scores were significantly higher in the NCS group (p=.04). CONCLUSION We believe that our findings will provide a basis for further studies in the diagnosis and treatment of NCA by contributing to the definition of NCA patients' psychological profiles.

Introduction To compare postoperative prophylactic use of two positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels in order to prevent postoperative bleeding in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Material and methods Sixty patients undergoing an elective off-pump CABG operation were included in this prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial. Patients were divided into two groups as receiving either 5 cm H2O (group 1) or 8 cm H2O PEEP (group 2) after the operation until being extubated. Chest tube outputs, use of blood products and other fluids, postoperative hemoglobin levels, accumulation of pleural and pericardial fluid after the removal of chest tubes, and duration of hospital stay were recorded and compared. Results Low- and high-pressure PEEP groups did not differ with regard to postoperative chest tube outputs, amounts of transfusions and crystalloid/colloid infusion requirements, or postoperative hemoglobin levels. However, low-pressure PEEP application was associated with significantly higher pleural (92 ±37 ml vs. 69 ±29 ml, p = 0.03) and pericardial fluid (17 ±5 ml vs. 14 ±6 ml, p = 0.04) accumulation. On the other hand, high-pressure PEEP application was associated with significantly longer duration of hospitalization (6.25 ±1.21 days vs. 5.25 ±0.91 days, p = 0.03). Conclusions Prophylactic administration of postoperative PEEP levels of 8 cm H2O, although safe, does not seem to reduce chest-tube output or transfusion requirements in off-pump CABG when compared to the lower level of PEEP. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm the benefits and identify ideal levels of PEEP administration in this group of patients.

Differential diagnosis of epilepsy and syncope may be difficult. Arrhythmias such as asystole, or ventricular fibrillation, may lead to cerebral hypoperfusion mimicking partial or secondary generalized tonic–clonic seizures. While performing an electroencephalogram (EEG) for epilepsy diagnosis, simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG) recording may detect cardiac pathology. In this article, through 2 cases, who had cardiac asystole during the EEG, we demonstrate the importance of ECG during EEG. To rule out cardiac pathology in syncope cases, all necessary investigations must be done.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels as an indirect marker of elevated oxidative stress in patients with dilated ascending aorta. METHODS The study was designed as an observational cross-sectional controlled study. One hundred consecutive patients with dilated ascending aorta and 50 consecutive controls with normal ascending aorta diameter were selected for the study by comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). The aortic dilatation group was divided into two subgroups, according to the literature as the ectasia group (3.8-4.3 cm, 53 patients, 24 male and 29 female, mean age: 62.9±10.9 years) and the aneurysm group (≥4.4 cm, 47 patients, 18 male and 29 female, mean age: 65.5±11.1 years). The control group consisted of patients demonstrating no ascending aorta dilatation (≤3.7 cm, 50 patients, 24 male and 26 female, mean age: 62.7±9.2 years). ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's correlation analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, and receiver-operator curve analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Regarding the comparison of laboratory parameters between the patient and control groups, serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels were found to be statistically significantly higher in both of the aortic dilatation subgroups than in the control group (p

The risk for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly increases in the patient population with metabolic syndrome (MeS). The present study aimed to investigate the association between the epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) and the oxidative stress parameters in MeS patients. The study included 181 patients as a patient group of 92 consecutive patients with MeS and a control group of 89 consecutive patients with similar age and gender. EATT was evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. Serum levels of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidative capacity (TAS), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), and arylesterase activities were measured. EATT was higher in the MeS group compared to the control group (6.0 ± 2.0 mm and4.0 ± 1.0 mm, resp.;P<0.001). The level of TOS was higher in the MeS group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Additionally, the TAS level was higher in the MeS group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the serum levels of PON-1 and arylesterase were lower in the MeS group compared to the control group (P<0.001). EAT may cause an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases by leading to increased oxidative stress in patients with MeS.

Aim. The purpose of this study was to compare three prophylactic regimens, sodium-bicarbonate based hydration, sodium-bicarbonate + N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and sodium-bicarbonate + NAC + theophylline, for the prevention of contrast induced nephropathy. Material and methods. We prospectively randomized 151 patients with baseline eGFR values between 30–59 ml/min/1.73m² who were also undergoing coronary angiography with three prophylactic treatments: intravenous hydration with sodiumbicarbonate (3 ml/kg/h for 1 hours before and 1 ml/kg/h for 6 hours after contrast exposure, group 1; n=50), hydration + NAC (600 mg p. o. twice daily the preceding day and the day of angiography, group 2; n=50), and hydration + NAC + theophylline (600 mg p. o. NAC and 200 mg theophylline p. o. twice daily for the preceding day and the day of angiography, group 3; n=51). The incidence of contrast induced nephropathy (0,5 mg/dl increase in serum creatinine from the baseline value 48 hours after intravascular injection of contrast) from the three groups was compared. Results. Of the 151 patients, 4 patients (7.8%) in group 3 experienced CIN (p=0.01). CIN did not develop in group 1 and 2. Conclusion. Among patients with eGFR values between 30–59 ml/min/1.73m² undergoing coronary angiography, use of sodium-bicarbonate based hydration alone and sodium-bicarbonate with NAC was associated with a reduction in the rate of contrast induced nephropathy. Sodium-bicarbonate with theophylline therapy was found to have no effect for the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy.

Hypothesis: We examined the hypothesis that a specific myocardial injury marker, namely high sensitive cardiac troponin-I (HsTn-I), is elevated in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF) pattern. Aim: To examine the above hypothesis by studying a group of patients who had undergone coronary angiography for the detection of their chest pain aetiology with SCF pattern despite an angiographically normal coronary arteriogram. Methods: We evaluated and performed coronary angiography (CAG) of 97 patients with chest discomfort. The indication forCAG was at least Canada class 3 angina and/or proven myocardial ischaemia according to noninvasive diagnostic tests. We further divided patients into three subgroups according to CAG images and compared HsTn-I plasma levels in 39 patients with SCF pattern, 28 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and 30 patients with normal coronary arteries. We researched the association between qualitative HsTn-I positivity and demographic features including cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation markers and TIMI frame count for each of the epicardial coronary arteries. Results: TIMI frame count for each epicardial coronary artery was significantly higher in patients with SCF pattern than in patients with CAD and normal coronary arteries (p < 0.001). HsTn-I positivity was not statistically different between patients with SCF pattern and normal coronary arteries (p = 512), but it was significantly higher in the CAD group than the other two group of patients (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In patients with SCF, HsTn-I may be detectable, but it is not elevated as in patients with normal coronary arteries.

The electrical activity of atria can be demonstrated by P waves on surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Atrial electromechanical delay (AEMD) measured with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography can be a useful non-invasive method for evaluating atrial conduction features. We investigated whether AEMD is prolonged in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Study consisted of 41 (15 female, 26 male, mean age 62 + 12 years) patients with COPD and 41 healthy subjects. Pulmonary function tests,12 lead surface ECG and echocardiographic examination were performed and recorded. P wave changes on surface ECG, minimum (P (min)) and maximum (P (max)) duration of P wave and its difference as P wave dispersion (P (wd)) were measured and recorded. Atrial electromechanic delay (AEMD) was calculated from colored-TDI recordings.Pulmonary functions were significantly lower in COPD group than the control group as expected. Right atrial areas and pulmonary arterial systolic pressures (PAP) were significantly higher in COPD group than the controls (right atrial area: 11.9 ± 3.4 cm(2) and 8.2 ± 2.2 cm(2), p0.0001 and PAP: 38.4 ± 12.2 and 19.0 ± 3.2 mmHg p0.0001, respectively). P wave intervals on surface ECG were significantly increased in COPD patients than the control group (P (max): 105 ± 11 and 90 ± 12 ms, p0.0001; P (min): 60 ± 12 and 51 ± 10 ms, p = 0.003 and P (wd): 39 ± 10 and 31 ± 7 ms, p0.0001). According to the AEMD measurements from different sites by TDI, there was a significant delay between the onset of the P wave on surface ECG and the onset of the late diastolic wave in patients with COPD when compared with controls measured from tricuspid lateral septal annulus (TAEMD) (COPD: 41.3 ± 9.8 ms, control: 36 ± 4.5 ms; p = 0.005). There was a positive correlation between TAEMD and right atrial area (r = 0.63, p0.0001) and also between TAEMD and PASP (r = 0.43, p0.0005) and a negative correlation between TAEMD and forced expiratory volume (FEV1) (r = -0.44, p = 0.04).Right atrial electromechanical delay is significantly prolonged in patients with COPD. The right atrial area, PAP and FEV1 levels are important factors of this prolonged delay. Also the duration of atrial depolarization is significantly prolonged and propagation of depolarization is inhomogeneous in patients with COPD. These may be the underlying mechanisms to explain the atrial premature beats, multifocal atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter and fibrillation often seen in patients with COPD secondary to these changes.

Here in we are reporting a 35-year-old pregnant, hypertensive woman with a strict descending aorta coarctation. She had two missing pregnancies which were complicated with hypertension, but which were not diagnosed for any pathologies before. We diagnosed coarctation of aorta, but however postponed her treatment after delivery of baby, because hypertension was under control with medical treatment and she had no complication. She had an uneventful delivery. MRI angiography revealed coarctation of aorta and it was successfully treated by using an endovascular covered stent during a single cardiac catheterization. Endovascular covered stent implantation is an easy, safe and effective method for treating coarctation of aorta in adults.

Multivessel spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is extremely rare, and to the best of our knowledge, triple-vessel dissection has been reported in only 7 patients to date. We present the successful surgical treatment of the triple coronary artery dissection in a 57-year-old man. The patient had aortic valve replacement simultaneously. Triple SCAD is a rare and life-threatening condition, and long-term results are necessary for an optimum treatment approach. It should be kept in mind that triple SCAD may be more common and fatal than thought, as uninvestigated cases of sudden death could mask the true incidence and prognosis of triple SCAD.

Ischemic heart disease is accepted as the most common cause of mortality and morbidity nearly all over the world. Gout disease is the most common condition of inflammatory arthritis among the adult population. Literature includes limited information about the treatment strategies when both the conditions coexist. In this report, we present the case report of a 63 year old male patient with the diagnosis of Gout arthritis who underwent a coronary artery bypass grafting procedure successfully. Key words: Coronary artery bypass grafting, gout arthritis, hyperuricemia, ischemic heart disease.

Patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries sometimes exhibit delayed clearance of contrast medium. This contrast layering (CL) was tested with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and markers of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The study group (n = 26) consisted of patients with CL and the control group (n = 32) comprised patients with normal coronary arteries despite angina symptoms. The CL was observed in 36 coronary arteries of 26 patients in the study group. Total antioxidant status and nitric oxide levels were significantly lower; total oxidant status, malondialdehyde plasma levels, and oxidative stress index were significantly higher in patients with CL than in controls. The IVUS studies revealed that atherosclerotic plaque burden, fibrous tissue, dense calcific tissue, and necrotic core ratios were significantly higher in the coronary segments with CL compared with adjacent normal segments. These results support the concept of CL as a new angiographic appearance of early atherosclerosis.

Cardiovascular side effects of lithium have been reported to occur mainly at higher-than-therapeutic serum levels. We aimed to investigate the impact of the long-term lithium use on electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters in association with the serum levels in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and in healthy controls (HCs) serving as the reference group.The study sample consisted of 53 euthymic BD type I patients on lithium monotherapy at therapeutic serum levels (M = 0.76, S.D. = 0.14, range = 0.41-1.09 mmol/l) for at least 12 months and 45 HCs. A 12-lead surface ECG was obtained from all participants at resting state for at least half an hour for 5-min recording. Heart-rate, Pmax, Pmin, QRS interval, QT dispersion, QT dispersion ratio (QTdR) and Tpeak-to-end interval (TpTe) were measured.Regression analyses revealed that QTdR (B = 14.17, P = .001), TpTe (B = 18.38, P.001), Pmax (B = 17.84, P.001) and Pmin (B = 25.10, P.001) were increased in BD patients who were on chronic lithium treatment than in HCs after controlling for age, sex and strict Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. There were no associations between serum lithium levels and ECG parameters.Our findings suggest that the use of lithium is associated with both atrial and ventricular electrical instability, even when lithium levels are in the therapeutic range.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) levels, serum uroten- sin II levels, and serum leptin levels as an indirect indicator of endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and atherosclerosis at the microvascular level, and the comparison of those values with those of the control group with a nor- mal coronary flow pattern.The study included 35 consecutive patients (17 women, 18 men; average age: 51.20 ± 10.93 years) in our hospital who underwent coronary angiography due to objective myocardial ischemia and in whom slow coronary flow was detected. The control group included 34 consecutive patients with normal coronary flow pattern (18 women, 16 men; average age: 54.59 ± 12.40 years). The coronary flow rates of all patients and control subjects were documented by the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count. Serum sCD40L concentrations, serum urotensin II concentrations and serum leptin concentrations were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method using commercially available kits.The corrected TIMI frame count for LAD, Cx, RCA, and mean TIMI frame count were significantly higher in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF), compared to subjects with normal coronary flow (43.8 ± 1.7 vs. 17.7 ± 4.7, p0.001; 27.9 ± 6.9 vs. 11.9 ± 4.8, p0.001; 25.4 ± 8.4 vs. 11.1 ± 3.1, p0.001; and 32.3 ± 6.4 vs. 13.7 ± 5, p0.001, respectively). The serum soluble CD40 ligand and serum urotensin II levels were significantly higher in the slow coronary flow group compared to the control group (12.00 ± 5.43 ng/mL--6.49 ± 5.03 ng/mL, p0.001; and 50.94 ± 34.28 pg/mL--26.91 ± 11.52 pg/mL, p0.001, respectively). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between the slow coronary flow group and the control group with regard to serum leptin levels and hs-CRP levels (both p0.05).This study suggests that soluble CD40 ligand and urotensin II likely play a role in the pathogenesis of slow coronary flow.

There is a small minority of patients with occlusive carotid artery disease, who are at high-risk for general anesthesia because of their intolerance to carotid flow blockage, even if only for seconds, without neurologic deficit. Even30 s of temporary clamping of the carotid arteries to deploy a shunt may prove eventful in this patient group. We define safe carotid endarterectomy after the insertion of a novel shunt that we made from simple medical equipment in this patient population.Among 65 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy between March 2010 and December 2012, 5 (7.7 %; 3 men and 2 women; age range 56-77 years) could not tolerate carotid clamping. We used an alternative carotid shunt, made by us from simple equipment in our clinic, during surgery for these patients.Two patients had bilateral lesions and the remainder had unilateral disease. The degree of stenosis ranged from 70 to 95 %. Temporary carotid clamping resulted in neurologic events, such as loss of consciousness in all and tremor in one, in10 s (range, from immediately to 8 s after clamping). Full neurologic function was regained 15-30 s after releasing the clamps. All of the patients tolerated the procedures well with the support of our novel shunt. Shunt flow was adequate in all patients and no neurologic deterioration occurred after carotid clamping. The mean carotid clamp time was 28.11 ± 14.19 min. There was no mortality and all patients were followed up for a mean period of 9.3 ± 3.6 months, uneventfully.An alternative, simple shunt, which is easily constructed in the operating room or clinic, using an angiocatheter, a three-way stopcock, and a serum line can provide adequate cerebral flow and permit safe carotid endarterectomy for those rare patients with carotid artery stenosis, who cannot tolerate even seconds of carotid occlusion.

Decreased collagen biosynthesis and increased collagenolysis may induce aneurysmal progress in arterial walls. Prolidase plays a role in collagen synthesis. In this study, we sought to evaluate whether there is a correlation between nonatherosclerotic coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) and prolidase activity. A total of 174 CAAs were diagnosed in 144 (2.1%) patients among 6845 coronary angiographies performed between 2009 and 2012. In all, 23 (15.9%) patients had nonatherosclerotic aneurysms. Prolidase activity was compared to the results of 19 healthy volunteers with normal coronary arteries. Demographic parameters were similar between the groups. Mean prolidase activity was 241.6 ± 54.4 mU/mL in the coronary aneurysm group and 730.3 ± 243.1 mU/mL in the control group ( P < .001). The incidence of CAAs ranges between 0.3% and 5.3% in the general population. Decreased prolidase activity may reduce collagen biosynthesis that may contribute to aneurysm formation.

Background: Platelets play an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). The importance of dual antiplatelet therapy to prevent recurrent ischemic events in patients who have acute coronary syndrome and who will undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is well known and widely accepted as a gold standard. However, despite this apparently effective therapy, incidence of adverse ischemic events could not be decreased enough. Resistance to aspirin/clopidogrel is an important risk factor for adverse ischemic clinical events. Up-to-date studies revealed many risk factors for antiplatelet resistance, one of which is hypertension (HT). Currently, there is no sufficient number of studies evaluating the association between HT and antiplatelet resistance, which is the aim of this study. Methods: We enrolled 145 consecutive patients (19 female [13.1%], 126 male [86.9%], mean age 55 ± 10) with stable CAD receiving regular antiplatelet therapy composed of 100 mg/d aspirin and 75 mg/d clopidogrel. All patients had been implanted nondrug-eluting coronary stent and/or stents at least 1 month ago. The HT was diagnosed by 24-hour blood pressure (BP) monitoring. Clopidogrel and aspirin resistance was measured by impedance aggregometry method. Results: We included 49 patients with HT and 96 nonhypertensive patients with stable CAD. Aspirin resistance was detected in 22 (16.4%) of 134 patients who received aspirin. Clopidogrel resistance was detected in 55 (37.9%) of 145 patients who received clopidogrel. Prevalance of aspirin and clopidogrel resistance was significantly higher in the hypertensive group than in the nonhypertensive group ( P = .030 and P = .007, respectively). Correlation analysis revealed weak but significantly positive correlation between clopidogrel resistance and serum uric acid levels, mean platelet volume, platelet count, and 24-hour mean systolic BP ( r = −.180, P = .030; r = .189, P = .016; r = .226, P = .006; and r = .200, P = .016, respectively). Conclusion: We demonstrated higher incidence of antiplatelet resistance in patients with HT. Upon this finding, which is emerged from an actual group of patients with HT, cardioprotective effect of antiplatelet therapy in patients with HT should be argued.

Introduction Platelets play a major role in thromboembolic events. Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) indicates higher platelet reactivity and also a tendency to thrombosis. Patent foramen ovale (PFO), persistence of the fetal anatomic shunt between right and left atria, is strongly associated with cryptogenic stroke. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between MPV and PFO and if such an association exists, whether higher MPV levels may require antiplatelet therapy before a thromboembolic event happens, together with a literature review. Material and methods Thirty patients (15 women, 15 men), free of any cerebrovascular events, were diagnosed with PFO by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), enrolled as the study group. Thirty consecutive patients (16 women and 14 men), who were diagnosed as normal in TEE, were enrolled as the control group. These two groups were compared according to MPV and anatomical features of the right atrium. Results There was no significant difference between study and control groups in clinical features and also no difference was observed in platelet counts; however, MPV in the PFO group was significantly higher than the control group (8.38 ±0.93 fl and 7.45 ±0.68 fl respectively). Conclusions Our results indicate that elevated MPV may be detected in patients with PFO. This might be one of the explanations for the relationship between PFO and cryptogenic stroke; however, larger cohorts are warranted in order to define further mechanisms.

Serum uric acid (SUA) level is a marker of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Consecutive patients (n = 64) with normal coronary angiography who demonstrated calcific aortic stenosis (AS) by transthoracic echocardiography were included in the study. The patients were categorized into 3 groups: 23 mild AS (12 males), 21 moderate AS (10 males), and 20 severe AS cases (10 males). Fasting SUA level was significantly higher in the severe AS group than in the moderate and mild AS groups (severe AS, 6.3 ± 1.6; moderate AS, 4.9 ± 1.3; mild AS; 4.6 ± 1.4 mg/dL; P < .001, respectively). There was a positive correlation between SUA level and maximum as well as mean aortic gradient ( r = .521, P < .001 and r = .526, P < .001, respectively). There was a negative correlation between SUA level and aortic valve area ( r = −.447, P < .001). Levels of SUA were increased in calcific AS cases. In addition, there was a positive correlation between severity of calcific AS and SUA levels.

Kounis syndrome, also named as “allergic angina syndrome,” is a diagnosis in which exposure to an allergen causes mostly coronary spasm and rarely plaque rupture, resulting in ischemic myocardial events. Myocardial bridging is defined as an intramural segment of a coronary artery and its systolic compression by overlying fibers. Myocardial bridging generally has a benign prognosis and mostly affects the mid portion of left anterior descending coronary artery. However, some cases with myocardial ischemia, infarction, and sudden death have also been reported. A 17-year-old boy presented to the clinic with acute anterolateral myocardial infarction after having first dose of clindamycin and diagnosed as Kounis syndrome. Further diagnostic workup of the patient showed myocardial bridging at the mid left anterior descending artery. In this report, we present the combination of Kounis syndrome and myocardial bridging leading to myocardial infarction at young age.

The association of an acute coronary syndrome with mast cell activation secondary to allergen exposure is known as the Kounis syndrome. We present two cases of the Kounis syndrome: (i) one was misdiagnosed as acute ST elevation myocardial infarction and treated with thrombolytics; (ii) the second diagnosis was made after a recurrence two months after the first incident.

WOS: 000333172400001, PubMed ID: 24631983, Objective: Cardiopulmonary bypass deteriorates pulmonary functions to a certain extent. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with increased mortality and morbidity risks in the postoperative period of open-heart surgery. In this study we compared 2 different mechanical ventilation modes, pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) and volume-controlled ventilation (VCV), in this particular patient population. Patients and Methods: Forty patients with severe COPD were assigned to 1 of 2 groups and enrolled to receive PCV or VCV in the postoperative period. Arterial blood gases, respiratory parameters, and intensive care unit and hospital stays were compared between the 2 groups. Results: Maximum airway pressure was higher in the VCV group. Pulmonary compliance was lower in the VCV group and minute ventilation was significantly lower in the group ventilated with PCV mode. The respiratory index was increased in the PCV group compared with the VCV group and with preoperative findings. Duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter with PCV; however, intensive care unit and hospital stays did not differ. Conclusion: There is not a single widely accepted and established mode of ventilation for patients with COPD undergoing open-heart surgery. Our modest experience indicated promising results with PCV mode; however, further studies are warranted.

PP-274 Slow coronary flow (SCF) is defined as delayed opacification of coronary arteries during coronary angiography without significant stenosis and is associated with myocardial perfusion abnormalities, myocardial ischemia and myocardial infarction. Although the certain etiology and

Purpose Several alternative procedures have been proposed to achieve complete revascularization in the presence of diffuse left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) disease. With the extensive use of internal thoracic artery grafts in coronary artery bypass procedures, sequential anastomosis of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) to LAD has gained popularity in these challenging cases. The long term results of sequential LITA to LAD anstomosis were examined in this study. Patients and Methods In order to determine the long term results of the sequential revascularization of LAD by LITA graft, 41 out of 49 patients operated between January 2001 and December 2005 were selected for control coronary arteriography. The median period for control coronary arteriography was 64 months. Results Seventy five anastomoses were found to be fully patent (91,46%) among the 82 sequential LITA anastomoses (41 LITA grafts) on the LAD at a median follow-up period of 64 months (53 to 123 months). Among the 41 LITA grafts used for this purpose, 36 were found intact (complete patency of the proximal and distal anastomoses) (87,8%). Two LITA grafts (4 anastomoses) were found to be totally occluded (4,87%). The proximal anastomosis of the LITA graft was observed to be 90% stenotic in one patient (1,21%). In one patient tight stenosis of the distal anastomosis line was observed (1,21%), while in another patient 70% narrowing of LITA lumen after the proximal anastomosis was detected (1,21%). Conclusion We strongly beleive that sequential LITA grafting of LAD is a safe alternative in the presence of severe LAD disease to achieve complete revascularization of the anterior myocardium with patency rates not much differing from conventional single LITA to LAD anastomosis.

OP-012 We prospectively assessed the management and short term prognosis of no-reflow phenomenon in a tertiary referral hospital. We included 46 patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) and occurrence of no-reflow phenomenon after primary percutaneous coronary