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A direct electron tunneling of myoglobin (cardiac biomarker) onto a magnesium oxide templated carbon electrode surface (MgOC) was observed. The porous carbon material employed in this work possesses a 3D macropores structure. Herein, the presence of a 3D curvature‐like structure provides a favorable environment for anchoring the protein myoglobin, which facilitates direct electron transfer by the myoglobin encapsulated within electroactive carbon and improves the mass transfer inside the carbon. The direct electron transfer of myoglobin at MgOC demonstrated the usefulness of this carbon material as an effective platform for studying the redox properties of various proteins and biomolecules that are of clinical relevance. The proposed strategy is distinct from the other known electrochemical strategies that involve a denaturant to partially open up myoglobin's redox‐active center, and thereby myoglobin is not detected in its native state. Our results also indicated a concentration‐dependent irreversible electron transfer from the heme center to the electrode surface. Further, the detection was rapid, and the analysis can be completed within a few minutes than other existing approaches that may take a few days up to a week for the results. The MgOC electrode also exhibited excellent stability towards the detection of myoglobin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Based on previous studies, the clinical sensitivity of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is higher than creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) in diagnosing acute coronary syndromes. The present study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of cTnI and CK-MB biomarkers in diagnosing suspected myocardial infarction (MI). Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 453 patients suspected of acute coronary syndrome who visited the emergency department of Farshchian Hospital in Hamadan in 2017 with chest pain were included. Of these, 360 patients had MI, and 93 patients did not have MI. In order to measure serum levels of CK-MB and cTnI, blood samples were taken from patients at the beginning and one and six hours later. The sensitivity and specificity of CK-MB and cTnI enzymes in MI were compared. Results: The sample size of this research was 453 cases, of which 66.45% were male and 33.55% were female. The mean age of subjects was 65.28±14.38 years. The sensitivity and specificity of cTnI in the diagnosis of MI were 96.67% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of CK-MB in diagnosing MI were 81.11% and 12.90%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of cTnI were 88.57 and 100, respectively, while the positive and negative predictive values of CK-MB were 78.28 and 15%, respectively. The accuracy of cTnI in differentiating cases of MI from non-MI (97.35%) was higher than that of CKMB (67.08%). Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of cTnI detection in MI cases were higher than CK-MB. Therefore, troponin is a better marker than creatine kinase to identify patients with myocardial infarction.

Copyright of Research in Sports Science is the property of Aves Yayincilik Ltd. STI 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: Functionally relevant coronary artery disease (fCAD), causing symptoms of myocardial ischemia, can currently only be reliably detected with advanced cardiac imaging. Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is a biomarker for neuro-axonal injury known to be elevated by cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and cerebrovascular small-vessel diseases. Due to their pathophysiological similarities with fCAD and the link to CV risk factors, we hypothesised that sNfL may have diagnostic and prognostic value for fCAD and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: Of the large prospective Basel VIII study (NCT01838148), 4'016 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac work-up for suspected fCAD were included (median age 68 years, 32.5% women, 46.9% with history of CAD). The presence of fCAD was adjudicated using myocardial perfusion imaging single-photon emission tomography (MPI-SPECT) and coronary angiography. sNfL was measured using a high-sensitive single-molecule array assay. All-cause and cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) during 5-year follow-up were the prognostic endpoints. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of sNfL for fCAD as quantified by the area under the curve (AUC) was low (0.58, 95%CI 0.56–0.60). sNfL was strongly associated with age, renal dysfunction, and body mass index and was a strong and independent predictor of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and stroke/TIA but not MI. Time-dependent AUC for cardiovascular-death at 1-year was 0.85, 95%CI 0.80–0.89, and 0.81, 95%CI 0.77–0.86 at 2-years. Conclusion: While sNfL concentrations did not show a diagnostic role for fCAD, in contrast, sNfL was a strong and independent predictor of cardiovascular outcomes, including all-cause death, cardiovascular death and stroke/TIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most specific and yet challenging fields of heart surgery. Apart from the known clinical approaches, including surgery, a significant scale of regenerative therapeutic options is available, which increase the number of cardiomyocytes and restore cardiac function. Although it has been revealed in recent years that mitochondrial transplantation can be used as a promising treatment option in this disease group, there is no clinical evidence for the significance of mitochondrial function in myocardial tissue of patients with CHD regarding cardiac surgery. In this study, mitochondrial morphology and function, myocardial fibrosis, and myocyte atypia were evaluated in myocardial biopsy tissue of pediatric patients with cyanotic and acyanotic CHD, five from each group. After histopathological evaluation of myocardial tissue specimens, mitochondrial morphology and network were analyzed by immunofluorescence staining using an anti-Tom20 antibody, electron transport chain complexes of myocardium were examined by cytochrome c oxidase/succinate dehydrogenase staining, and the amount of ATP was measured by bioluminescence assay. In addition, cardiac markers have been tested to be reviewed as a potential indicator for postoperative follow-up. Myocyte atypia and fibrosis were classified on a scale of 1 to 4. In this study, unlike patients with acyanotic CHD, alterations in mitochondrial network and reduction in ATP production were detected in all pediatric patients with cyanotic CHD. A statistically significant correlation was also determined between mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiac markers. These findings may be assumed as a promising pathway for evaluating the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and cyanotic CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To evaluate the information value of a complex of clinical and biochemical parameters of myocardial damage in predicting the development of transmural myocardial damage according to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Material and methods. The study included patients admitted to the emergency cardiology department with acute coronary syndrome. All patients underwent invasive coronary angiography, laboratory tests, and dynamic determination of cardiac biomarkers. In the interval of 6,1±4 days from admission to the hospital, patients underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI. According to the pattern of delayed contrast enhancement, patients were divided into two groups: with a transmural and subendocardial pattern.Results. The mean age of patients was 62,5±10,5 years, while 27 (71,1%) had ST-segment elevation AMI. Among the risk factors for coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia (89,5%), hypertension (68,4%), and smoking (57,9%) were the most common. Creatine phosphokinase-MB (CPK-MB), serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) values after 24 h were significantly higher in patients with transmural hyperenhancement. Moderate positive relationship was found between the global size of left ventricular (LV) damage according to MRI data and the levels of CPK-MB after 24 h and 4 days, as well as with CRP after 24 h, 4 and 7 days, and cTnI level after 24 h and 4 days. In the group of patients with transmural pattern, the global size of LV damage was significantly higher. Patients of this group were characterized by higher prevalence of microvascular obstruction. In a univariate regression analysis, there were following significant predictors of transmural myocardial damage: CPK-MB after 4 days (p=0,023) and ST segment elevation (p=0,029). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the only independent predictor of transmural myocardial damage was an increase in CPKMB after 4 days (p=0,023).Conclusion. An independent predictor of LV transmural damage in AMI was an elevated level of CPK-MB after 4 days. However, this laboratory marker had unsatisfactory information completeness and predictive quality. In this regard, cardiac MRI in patients with AMI, compared with the standard clinical assessment, can be considered preferable for assessing the depth of myocardial damage, risk stratification, and prognosis.

Objectives: Previous observational studies have suggested that increased cardiac markers are commonly found in COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the relationship between several cardiac markers and the severity/mortality of COVID-19 patients. Methods: Several cardiac markers were analysed in this meta-analysis. RevMan 5.4 was used to provide pooled estimates for standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Twenty-nine clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis. Significantly higher CK-MB (0.64, 95% CI = 0.19–1.09), PCT (0.47, 95% CI = 0.26−0.68), NT-proBNP (1.90, 95% CI = 1.63–2.17), BNP (1.86, 95% CI = 1.63−2.09), and d-dimer (1.30, 95% CI = 0.91−1.69) were found in severe compared with non-severe COVID-19. Significantly higher CK-MB (3.84, 95% CI = 0.62−7.05), PCT (1.49, 95% CI = 0.86−2.13), NT-proBNP (4.66, 95% CI = 2.42−6.91), BNP (1.96, 95% CI = 0.78−3.14), troponin (1.64 (95% CI = 0.83−2.45), and d-dimer (2.72, 95% CI = 2.14−3.29) were found in those who died from compared with survivors of COVID-19. Conclusions: High CK-MB, PCT, NT-proBNP, BNP, and d-dimer could be predictive markers for severity of COVID-19, while high CK-MB, PCT, NT-proBNP, BNP, troponin, and d-dimer could be predictive markers for survival of COVID-19 patients.

Background: Homocysteine (Hcy) is involved in various methylation processes, and its plasma level is increased in cardiac ischemia. Thus, we hypothesized that levels of homocysteine correlate with the morphological and functional remodeling of ischemic hearts. Thus, we aimed to measure the Hcy levels in the plasma and pericardial fluid (PF) and correlate them with morphological and functional changes in the ischemic hearts of humans. Methods: Concentration of total homocysteine (tHcy) and cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) of plasma and PF were measured in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery (n = 14). Left-ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter (LVED), LV end-systolic diameter (LVES), right atrial, left atrial (LA) area, thickness of interventricular septum (IVS) and posterior wall, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and right ventricular outflow tract end-diastolic area (RVOT EDA) of CABG and non-cardiac patients (NCP; n = 10) were determined by echocardiography, and LV mass was calculated (cLVM). Results: Positive correlations were found between Hcy levels of plasma and PF, tHcy levels and LVED, LVES and LA, and an inverse correlation was found between tHcy levels and LVEF. cLVM, IVS, and RVOT EDA were higher in CABG with elevated tHcy (>12 µM/L) compared to NCP. In addition, we found a higher cTn-I level in the PF compared to the plasma of CABG patients (0.08 ± 0.02 vs. 0.01 ± 0.003 ng/mL, p < 0.001), which was ~10 fold higher than the normal level. Conclusions: We propose that homocysteine is an important cardiac biomarker and may have an important role in the development of cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in chronic myocardial ischemia in humans.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is an emerging biomarker associated with anatomical CAD burden and cardiovascular outcomes including myocardial infarction (MI) and death. We aimed to validate previous findings of the prognostic value of suPAR and to evaluate its diagnostic potential for functional relevant CAD (fCAD). Consecutive patients with suspected fCAD were enrolled. Adjudication of fCAD was performed blinded to suPAR concentrations by myocardial perfusion single-photon emission tomography (MPI-SPECT) and coronary angiography. Prognostic outcome measures included all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and incident MI during 2-year follow-up. Among consecutive 968 patients, suPAR concentrations were higher in patients with fCAD compared to those without (3.45 vs. 3.20 ng/mL, p = 0.007), but did not provide acceptable diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.56, 95%CI 0.52–0.60). SuPAR correlated with high-sensitivity cardiac-troponin T (Spearman's rho (ρ) 0.393, p < 0.001), NT-proBNP (ρ = 0.327, p < 0.001), age (ρ = 0.364, p < 0.001) and very weakly with coronary atherosclerosis (ρ = 0.123, p < 0.001). Prognostic discrimination of suPAR was moderate for cardiovascular death (AUC = 0.72, 95%CI 0.62–0.81) and all-cause death (AUC = 0.72, 95%CI 0.65–0.79) at 2-years. SuPAR remained a significant predictor for all-cause death in multivariable Cox regression (HR = 1.96, p = 0.001). SuPAR was an independent predictor of all-cause death, without diagnostic utility for fCAD. NCT01838148 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Practical Pharmacy & Clinical Remedies is the property of Editorial Department of Practical Pharmacy & Clinical Remedies 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.)

This study investigated retrospectively the correlation between the results of the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and a routine blood test using a hospital information system. The NT-proBNP is involved in the pathophysiology of heart failure. The results show that the relationship between age and NT-proBNP was significant (P＜0.01) with a positive correlation (r=0.163). The peptide concentration showed a negative correlation between the total protein (r=−0.250) and albumin (r=−0.270), and a negative correlation between the erythrocyte count and hemoglobin and hematocrit (P＜0.01). NT-proBNP had a positive correlation with neutrophils (r=0.227) and a negative correlation with lymphocytes (r=-0.236), showing significant results (P＜0.01). NT-proBNP and creatinine showed a positive correlation (r=0.594, P＜0.01), and it was the most influential factor according to multiple regression analysis (B=0.53, t=7.65). P＜0.01). The concentra-tions of NT-proBNP and uric acid showed a positive correlation (r=0.180, P＜0.05). Lactate dehyd-rogenase was observed as a factor affecting the NT-proBNP (B=0.20, t=3.28, P＜0.01). This explanatory power had an influence of 43%. Therefore, the accurate test and related factors of the NT-proBNP have significant clinical value.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) self-renew and represent a potentially unlimited source for the production of cardiomyocytes (CMs) suitable for studies of human cardiac development, drug discovery, cardiotoxicity testing, and disease modelling and for cell-based therapies. However, most cardiac differentiation protocols yield mixed cultures of atrial-, ventricular-, and pacemaker-like cells at various stages of development, as well as non-CMs. The proportions and maturation states of these cell types result from disparities among differentiation protocols and time of cultivation, as well as hPSC reprogramming inconsistencies and genetic background variations. The reproducible use of hPSC-CMs for research and therapy is therefore limited by issues of cell population heterogeneity and functional states of maturation. A validated method that overcomes issues of cell heterogeneity is immunophenotyping coupled with live cell sorting, an approach that relies on accessible surface markers restricted to the desired cell type(s). Here we review current progress in unravelling heterogeneity in hPSC-cardiac cultures and in the identification of surface markers suitable for defining cardiac identity, subtype specificity, and maturation states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amaç:Hastaneler ve poliklinikler artık hasta bakımı sunumunda tanısal analizlerin kullanılmasına izin veren hasta başı test (POCT) cihazları kullanmaktadırlar.Çalışmamızda kantitatif Nano-Ditech (Cranbury, NJ, USA) CK-MB, cTnI ve miyoglobin POC testlerinin değerlendirilmesi ve Getein 1100 (Nanjing, Çin) CK-MB, cTnI ve miyoglobin POC testlerinin analitik performans karşılaştırılması amaçlanmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntem:Bilecik Gölpazarı İlçe Devlet Hastanesi'ne göğüs ağrısı şikayeti ile Ağustos-Eylül 2017 tarihleri ​​arasında başvuran 100 hastadan (53 erkek ve 47 kadın), Getein 1100 ve Nano-Ditech kardiyak cihazları için lityum heparinli plazma örnekleri(Terumo Europe NV Leuven, Belçika) rastgele olarak alındı. Bulgular:Bizim çalışmamızda, iki cihaz arasındaki korelasyon, troponin için r = 0.023 ve p = 0.017, CK-MB için r = 0.130 ve p = 0.001 olarak bulunmuştur ve miyoglobin için iki cihaz arasında herhangi bir korelasyon bulunmamıştırSonuç:İki cihazın analitik performansı değerlendirildiğinde, Akut Miyokard Enfarktüsü’nün teşhisi, tanı ve dışlanması için önemli olan troponin, CK-MB ve miyoglobinin mutlak değerlerinin karşılaştırılmasının Klinik ve Laboratuvar Standartları Enstitüsü (CLSI)'nin önerdiği yöntem karşılaştırma protokolü ile uyumsuz olduğunu bulduk (EP-9).

Background: The cardiovascular system of owl monkeys has been studied due to frequent postmortem findings of heart disease in asymptomatic animals. The silent aspect and the difficulty of early diagnosis intensify the importance of studying the cardiovascular system in this species. Methods: Echocardiogram evaluation was carried out on 60 animals, grouped into suspect or non‐suspect of having heart diseases, and evaluated through electrocardiogram, hematology, and biochemical tests. Results: Doppler echocardiography indicated two animals with suspicion of left ventricular hypertrophy and eight with dilated cardiomyopathy. Suspect animals had higher cardiac measurements and reduced shortening fraction. Troponin I was detectable in two animals (0.128 ng/mL and 0.584 ng/mL), and serum albumin concentration was significantly higher in non‐suspect animals (P <.05). Conclusions: The importance of echocardiographic measurements of IVSd, IVSs, LVIDd, LVIDs, LVPWd, LVPWs, LA, EF, and FS in the cardiac evaluation of captive owl monkeys was evidenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The course of differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes and the intermediate cell types are characterized using molecular markers for different stages of development. These markers have been selected primarily from studies in the mouse and from a limited number of human studies. However, it is not clear how well mouse cardiogenesis compares with human cardiogenesis at the molecular level. We tackle this issue by analyzing and comparing the expression of common cardiomyogenesis markers [platelet-derived growth factor receptor, alpha polypeptide (PDGFR-α), fetal liver kinase 1 (FLK1), ISL1, NK2 homeobox 5 (NKX2.5), cardiac troponin T (CTNT), connexin43 (CX43), and myosin heavy chain 7 (MYHC-B)] in the developing pig heart at embryonic day (E)15, E16, E18, E20, E22, and E24 and in differentiating cardiomyocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). We found that porcine expression of the mesoderm marker FLK1 and the cardiac progenitor marker ISL1 was in line with our differentiating hiPSC and reported murine expression. The cardiac lineage marker NKX2.5 was expressed at almost all stages in the pig and hiPSC, with an earlier onset in the hiPSC compared with reported murine expression. Markers of immature cardiomyocytes, CTNT, and MYHC-B were consistently expressed throughout E16–E70 in the pig, which is comparable with mouse development, whereas the markers increased over time in the hiPSC. However, the commonly used mature cardiomyocyte marker, CX43, should be used with caution, as it was also expressed in the pig mesoderm, as well as hiPSC immature cardiomyocytes, while this has not been reported in mice. Based on our observations in the various species, we suggest to use FLK1/PDGFR-α for identifying cardiac mesoderm and ISL1/NKX2.5 for cardiac progenitors. Furthermore, a combination of two or more of the following, CTNT+/MYHC-B+/ISL1+ could mark immature cardiomyocytes and CTNT+/ISL1− mature cardiomyocytes. CX43 should be used together with sarcomeric proteins. This knowledge may help improving differentiation of hiPSC into more in vivo-like cardiac tissue in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This meta-analysis analysed the relationships between several cardiac marker and COVID-19 severity and mortality. • CKMB, PCT, BNP, NT-proBNP, and d -dimer levels were associated with severe COVID-19 cases. • CKMB, cardiac troponin, PCT, BNP, NT-proBNP, and d -dimer levels were associated with COVID-19 mortality. • These biomarkers could serve as predictors in COVID-19 patients severity and mortality. • Among cardiac markers, d -dimer was the best predictor of severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Previous observational studies have suggested that increased cardiac markers are commonly found in COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the relationship between several cardiac markers and the severity/mortality of COVID-19 patients. Several cardiac markers were analysed in this meta-analysis. RevMan 5.4 was used to provide pooled estimates for standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals. Twenty-nine clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis. Significantly higher CK-MB (0.64, 95% CI = 0.19–1.09), PCT (0.47, 95% CI = 0.26−0.68), NT-proBNP (1.90, 95% CI = 1.63–2.17), BNP (1.86, 95% CI = 1.63−2.09), and d -dimer (1.30, 95% CI = 0.91−1.69) were found in severe compared with non-severe COVID-19. Significantly higher CK-MB (3.84, 95% CI = 0.62−7.05), PCT (1.49, 95% CI = 0.86−2.13), NT-proBNP (4.66, 95% CI = 2.42−6.91), BNP (1.96, 95% CI = 0.78−3.14), troponin (1.64 (95% CI = 0.83−2.45), and d -dimer (2.72, 95% CI = 2.14−3.29) were found in those who died from compared with survivors of COVID-19. High CK-MB, PCT, NT-proBNP, BNP, and d -dimer could be predictive markers for severity of COVID-19, while high CK-MB, PCT, NT-proBNP, BNP, troponin, and d -dimer could be predictive markers for survival of COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular exposure to stress causes alteration in biochemical parameter but till date no specific medicine prescribed for controlling it. Current study aimed to determine the effect of Diazepam on proinflammatory and cardiac markers in stress exposed rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups with six animals in each group for 90 days study. Group-1 served as a Normal Control (NC), Groups-2, as a Disease Control (DC), Group-3 as a Diazepam Control (DMC) and Group-4 as a Disease + Diazepam Treatment (DT). DMC and DT animals exposed to regular stress by forced swimming exercise method for 90 days. DMC and DT received 5 mg/kg, p.o the daily dose of Diazepam. At the end of the protocol, animals were sacrificed. The level of serum proinflammatory marker interleukin-6 in DC increased significantly (p < 0.001) while restored significantly (p < 0.001) in DT. Level of interleukin-10 in DC decreased significantly (p < 0.001) while restored significantly (p < 0.001) in DT. Level of fibrinogen was also increased by stress, which was restored significantly (p < 0.05) by diazepam. Increased level of Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) by stress was restored significantly (p < 0.05) by diazepam. The level of cortisol was increased also significantly (p < 0.001) and restored to normal by diazepam. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP) and cholesterol was increased significantly (p < 0.01; p < 0.001) by stress while restored significantly (p < 0.01; p < 0.001) by diazepam. Findings from results suggest that diazepam ameliorates altered proinflammatory and cardiac markers in stress exposed rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan has caused an outbreak and become a major public health issue in China and great concern from international community. Myocarditis and myocardial injury were suspected and may even be considered as one of the leading causes for death of COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we focused on the condition of the heart, and sought to provide firsthand evidence for whether myocarditis and myocardial injury were caused by COVID-19. We enrolled patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 retrospectively and collected heart-related clinical data, mainly including cardiac imaging findings, laboratory results and clinical outcomes. Serial tests of cardiac markers were traced for the analysis of potential myocardial injury/myocarditis. 112 COVID-19 patients were enrolled in our study. There was evidence of myocardial injury in COVID-19 patients and 14 (12.5%) patients had presented abnormalities similar to myocarditis. Most of patients had normal levels of troponin at admission, that in 42 (37.5%) patients increased during hospitalization, especially in those that died. Troponin levels were significantly increased in the week preceding the death. 15 (13.4%) patients have presented signs of pulmonary hypertension. Typical signs of myocarditis were absent on echocardiography and electrocardiogram. The clinical evidence in our study suggested that myocardial injury is more likely related to systemic consequences rather than direct damage by the 2019 novel coronavirus. The elevation in cardiac markers was probably due to secondary and systemic consequences and can be considered as the warning sign for recent adverse clinical outcomes of the patients. • The evidence from clinical standpoint and front-line data in Wuhan for COVID-19. • The novel coronavirus in COVID-19 less likely caused myocardial injury directly. • Elevation in cardiac markers is the warning sign of adverse outcomes for COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Chronic hepatitis C was associated with insulin resistance without diabetes. • The production of GDF-15 was elevated in CHC patients. • Increased production of atherogenic cytokines was observed in PBMC. • No increase in atherogenic risk indexes and frequency of prior myocardial infarction. Abstract There appears to be an associative link between chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, the exact nature of the relationship between CHC and CVDs has not been elucidated. We investigated the presence of CVDs and the clinical and laboratory alterations associated with these diseases in CHC patients. Twenty-six CHC patients, 35 individuals with atherosclerosis (Athero) and 27 healthy individuals were examined for risk factors for CVD, lipid profile, atherogenic risk indexes, and insulin resistance (IR). Cardiac biomarkers and the chemokines and cytokines involved in atherosclerosis were also evaluated. A higher prevalence of prior acute myocardial infarction was found in the Athero group. Most CHC patients were infected with the hepatitis C virus genotype 1 and exhibited either no hepatic fibrosis or a mild to moderate liver fibrosis. The apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios and C-reactive protein levels were lower in CHC patients than in the Athero group. Further, IR was elevated in the CHC group and associated with the waist circumference. High GDF-15 levels were observed in the CHC group, which were inversely correlated with APOB levels. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CHC patients produced more IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-6 than CAD PBMC but the production of IL-10 and IL-1β was similar. CHC and CAD groups presented similar levels of IL-8, MCP-1 and LAP-TGF-β1. Increased IR, elevated levels of GDF-15, and high production of atherogenic cytokines can be observed in Brazilian CHC patients without association with diabetes and clinical manifestation of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by enhanced production of free radicals hence oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of cardiac and antioxidant enzymes in diabetic and non-diabetic acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. Methods: This case–control study was conducted on 450 subjects (70–85 years). Subjects were divided into three groups (Normal, N; Non-diabetic AMI, N-AMI; and Diabetic AMI, D-AMI). Each individual was subjected to a detailed history, clinical examination, and cardiovascular parameters analysis (fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, systolic and diasystolic blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), TC/HDL and LDL/HDL ratios). Cardiac markers (Troponin-I, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)) and oxidative stress markers (superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT)) were also assessed. All these parameters were compared between diabetic and non-diabetic AMI patients. Results: D-AMI individuals had high level of TC, TG, LDL, and low level of HDL in comparison to N-AMI individuals. Study suggests that cardiac markers such as Troponin I, CPK, CK-MB, AST, LDH, and CRP levels were significantly increased in patients suffering from myocardial infarction with diabetes mellitus (DM) compared to patients of myocardial infarction without DM. The activity levels of antioxidant SOD and GSH were lower in D-AMI patients than in N-AMI. However, levels of MDA and CAT were higher in D-AMI than in N-AMI controls. Conclusion: Study suggests elevated cardiac markers and reduced antioxidants in D-AMI patients compared to N-AMI patients.

Background: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) have become a widely accepted tool in the treatment of patients with symptomatic portal hypertension. The aim of our study was to assess glycogen phosphorylase BB (GPBB) concentration in relation to echocardiographic and haemodynamic parameters in patients before and after TIPS insertion. Methods: The study population consisted of 55 patients (38 men and 17 women, age 55.6±8.9 years, range 37-74 years) with liver cirrhosis treated with transjugular portosystemic shunting. GPBB, echocardiographic, and haemodynamic parameters were measured before TIPS insertion and 24 h after the procedure. GPBB concentrations were assessed using the Cardiac Array for Evidence Investigator protein biochip. Correlation between parameters was assessed using the Spearman's coefficient. Results: Serum post-procedural GPBB concentrations were increased in comparison with baseline (5.58 vs. 2.67 μg/L, P

The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes in myocardial functions in children who underwent haematopoietic stem cell transplantation along with associated chemotherapy. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of baseline echocardiographic parameters on mortality. We evaluated 39 patients (mean age 7.4 years) who underwent haematopoietic stem cell transplantation owing to non-malignant disease. The control group included 39 healthy children who had normal cardiac findings. The myocardial functions were evaluated in all subjects by conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler echocardiography before haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th month after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. All patients had normal left ventricular ejection fraction before haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, except one case. Before haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the patient group had significantly greater mean pulmonary artery pressure and lower tricuspid valve annular plane excursion rate. Baseline E' velocities for mitral lateral annuli, septum, and tricuspid lateral annuli were lower in the patient group than the control group. The E' velocities for the left ventricle decreased in the patient group after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and then returned to baseline levels at the 6 months. E' and S' velocities for tricuspid lateral annuli also decreased after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and were still depressed in the first year after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Baseline E' velocity for septum was significantly lower in patients who died after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation than patients who survived (p = 0.009). Subclinical impairment in both ventricular functions was observed after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and the right ventricular functions were affected for longer periods than left ventricle after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The myocardial functions should be monitored after the first year of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

We developed an electrochemical redox cycling-based immunosensor using a 3D carbon system consisting of a suspended mesh and substrate-bound interdigitated array (IDA) nanoelectrodes. The carbon structures were fabricated using a simple, cost-effective, and reproducible microfabrication technology known as carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS). We demonstrated that the 3D sub-micrometer-sized mesh architecture and selective modification of the suspended mesh facilitated the efficient production of large quantities of electrochemical redox species. The electrochemically active surfaces and small size of IDA nanoelectrodes with a 1:1 aspect ratio exhibited high signal amplification resulting from efficient redox cycling of electrochemical species (PAP/PQI) by a factor of ~25. The proposed selective surface modification scheme facilitated efficient redox cycling and exhibited a linear detection range of 0.001–100 ng/mL for cardiac myoglobin (cMyo). The specific detection of cMyo was also achieved in the presence of other interfering species. Moreover, the proposed 3D carbon system-based immunosensor successfully detected as low as ~0.4 pg/mL cMyo in phosphate-buffered saline and human serum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoresistive microcantilever-based sensor platform is being used for the last two decades due to their low cost, rapid response and label-free detection system. In this work, we are reporting a microfabricated piezoresistive SU-8/carbon black (polymer cantilever)-based sensor platform for the detection of a clinically important early-stage cardiac marker, i.e., fatty acid-binding protein. It is a most preferred cardiac marker for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The embodiment of the sensor is a SU-8 microcantilever chip with an integrated nanoparticle composite (carbon black) as a piezoresistor for on-chip electrical transduction. Prior to improving the sensing and susceptibility towards the specific target biomolecule (i.e., h-FABP), the fabricated SU-8 polymer cantilevers were subjected to tailored functionalization. This includes the use of an in-house dry method of hot wire chemical vapour deposition technique to graft amine groups onto the SU-8 surface. The surface-modified microcantilevers were further integrated with a polydimethylsiloxane liquid flow cell and connected externally with an electrical read-out system. Immobilization of the antibody corresponding to the marker protein on the microcantilever surface and subsequent recording of the signal generated upon the antibody-antigen interaction were carried out inside the liquid flow cell. Using our optimized immobilization protocol with this experimental set-up, we were successfully able to detect h-FABP concentration as low as 100 ng/ml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]