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AIM: Coronary collateral circulation (CCC) helps to protect and preserve myocardium from episodes of ischemia, and reduce angina symptoms, arrhythmia, and cardiovascular events. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent form of arrhythmia after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between CCC and the development of AF in patients undergoing CABG surgery. METHODS: A total of 165 patients (mean age 63±10 years, 74% men, 26% women) who were undergoing CABG surgery at our department were enrolled into this study. Patients were categorized into two groups according to preoperative CCC using the Rentrop method. RESULTS: Of the patients, 79 had poor CCC and 89 had good CCC. The AF incidence rate in the poor collateral group was significantly higher than that in the good collateral group [37 (49%) vs. 12 (14%), P<0.001]. In univariate analysis, age, left atrium size, and poor CCC grade were associated with AF after CABG surgery. Multivariate analysis showed that only poor CCC grade (odds ratio: 11.500; 95% confidence interval 3.977-33.253, P<0.001) was an independent predictor of the development of AF after adjustment of other potential confounders in patients undergoing CABG surgery. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that preoperative poor CCC is a powerful predictor of the development of AF after CABG surgery.

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OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine how N-terminal pro brain-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels correlate with cyclic variation of integrated backscatter (CVIBS) as a reflection of abnormal diastolic function in hypertension. PATIENTS: Forty essentially hypertensive patients were studied. CVIBS values were obtained from the septal wall in the parasternal long-axis view. Twelve had normal diastolic function, 18 had impaired relaxation, and 10 had pseudonormal pattern. RESULTS: Patients with normal diastolic function had a mean NT-proBNP concentration of 34 +/- 17 pg/ml and a mean CVIBS value of 7.1 +/- 0.9 dB; those with impaired relaxation had a mean NT-proBNP concentration of 71 +/- 25 pg/ml and a mean CVIBS value of 6.7 +/- 1.1 dB. Patients with pseudonormal pattern had the highest NT proBNP levels (206 +/- 75 pg/ml) and lowest CVIBS values (5.7 +/- 0.9 dB). An NT-proBNP value of 62 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 91%; a CVIBS value of 7.2 dB had a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 66.7% for detecting diastolic dysfunction. An NT-proBNP value of 120 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 96%; a CVIBS value of 6.1 dB had a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 75% for detecting severe diastolic dysfunction. A close correlation was found between the NT-proBNP and CVIBS values (r: 0.54, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combinative use of NT-proBNP and CVIBS can detect the presence of diastolic abnormalities on echocardiography. A good correlation was found between the NT-proBNP and CVIBS values in detecting diastolic dysfunction in essentially hypertensive patients.

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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of trimetazidine (TMZ) in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with high serum creatinine levels undergoing coronary angiography/angioplasty. METHODS: TMZ (20 mg thrice daily) was administered orally for 72 h starting 48 h before the procedure. All patients were given intravenous saline (0.9%) at a rate of 1 ml/kg of body weight per hour for 24 h starting 12 h beforehand. Serum creatinine levels were measured before the procedure, 48 h and 7 days after the procedure. Increase in serum creatinine level exceeding 0.5 mg/day or one quarter of the basal value is considered as CIN. Venous blood samples for serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) measurement were drawn before and after coronary angiography. RESULTS: Basal serum creatinine levels and TAC were similar in TMZ and control groups. Serum creatinine levels in the control group increased significantly 2 days after the procedure, and returned to the baseline values on the seventh day. However, it did not change significantly on the second day, and even significantly decreased on the seventh day in the TMZ group. CIN developed in 2.5% (1/40) of patients in the TMZ group and in 16.6% (7/42) of patients in the control group (p<0.05). TAC values were not different between treatment groups. CONCLUSION: TMZ along with isotonic saline infusion is more effective than isotonic saline alone in reducing the risk of CIN in patients with pre-existing renal dysfunction.

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In this study, we measured the effects of spinal anesthesia on the corrected QT (QTc) interval in women with severe preeclampsia. Twenty-five preeclamptic (preeclamptic group) and 25 healthy pregnant women with normal arterial blood pressure and QTc interval (control group) were enrolled in this prospective, case-controlled study. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and QTc interval values were obtained before (baseline value) and at 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, and 120 min after initiation of spinal anesthesia. Total ephedrine dose, time elapsed until sensory block, and Apgar scores were recorded. Prior to spinal anesthesia, QTc interval values were significantly higher in the preeclamptic group (452 +/- 17.5 ms) when compared with that in controls (376 +/- 21.4 ms). Although the QTc interval shortened during spinal anesthesia when compared with baseline value in the preeclamptic group (P < 0.05), it showed no significant change in the control group. In conclusion, the QTc interval may be prolonged in severe preeclamptic patients who have hypertension and hypocalcemia. Spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery may normalize that prolonged QTc interval due to sympathetic blockade.

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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of IV lidocaine on autonomic cardiac function changes in tracheal intubation (TI) during sevoflurane anaesthesia by using more reliable parameters, namely, the analysis of QT dispersion and heart rate variability (HRV) from Holter monitoring. In this prospective, double-blind study, 44 American Society of Anaesthesiologists class I-II patients scheduled for hysterectomy were randomly and equally divided into 2 groups; a control sevoflurane group (group S, n = 22) and a lidocaine sevoflurane group (group LS, n = 22). Before the induction of anaesthesia, the electrocardiograms (ECG) of all patients were recorded for 3 minutes as baseline parameters. In both groups, the anaesthesia was induced with 7% sevoflurane in O(2 )at 6L min(-1) via a facemask for 2 minutes. However, before the induction of sevoflurane anaesthesia in group LS, 1 mg kg(-1) of lidocaine was given intravenously (IV). For muscle relaxation during TI, vecuronium was given to all participants. Three minutes after administration of vecuronium, TI was performed and an ECG was recorded synchronously for another 3 minutes. The results from the later records were used as postintubation parameters. Baseline and postintubation data were analysed. When compared to baseline values, postintubation LF/HF and SDNN values were increased in group S (P = 0.005, P = 0.001, respectively), whereas postintubation LF and HF values were decreased in group LS (P = 0.014, P = 0.041, respectively). Under the influence of sevoflurane anaesthesia, TI resulted in sympathetic activation. However, this activation was attenuated by the administration of IV 1 mg kg(-1) lidocaine 5 minutes prior to TI.

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The purpose of this study was to use estimates of corrected QT dispersion (QTcd) and heart rate variability (HRV) to assess the effects of sevoflurane, an inhalation agent used frequently in clinical practice, on autonomic cardiac function. This study was conducted prospectively and in a blind manner on 20 women between 38 and 51 y of age who were classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists stage I-II and whose treatment required total abdominal hysterectomy. Electrocardiograms were recorded by 12-lead Holter monitor for 5 min before sevoflurane induction and again for 5 min at 10 min after tracheal intubation. Data on the first recording were considered as baseline; those on the second recording were viewed as final data. The study was terminated at this point, and surgery was allowed to proceed. QTcd and HRV values were assessed by a cardiologist, who was blinded to all data. All parameters were expressed as a mean value +/- standard deviation. Wilcoxon's test was used to compare baseline and final data. Statistical significance was considered as P<.05. No significant changes were observed between baseline and final QTcd values and between low- and high-frequency components (LF and HF) of HRV; nor were changes seen in the LF/HF ratio. With the patient under sevoflurane/ nitrous oxide anesthesia, no significant changes were detected in QTcd, LF, and HF values, and in the LF/HF ratio, whereas a significant increase (P=.001) was seen in standard deviation of the R-R interval, which was used as a measure of cardiac autonomic tone.

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BACKGROUND: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) cardiotoxicity is a well-known clinical phenomenon whose pathophysiology remains controversial. Cyclic variation of integrated backscatter (CVIBS) assesses acoustic properties of myocardium that may reflect both contractility and structural changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate CVIBS alterations in cancer patients under high-dose leucovorin and infusional 5-FU (HDLV5FU) chemotherapy. METHOD: We prospectively evaluated 37 cancer patients under HDLV5FU treatment. Transthoracic echocardiography and CVIBS were performed at the 0th, 48th hours, and on day 15 of the first cycle. The parasternal long-axis view was preferred to obtain the image of integrated backscatter and mainly two regions of interest--interventricular septum (IVS) and posterior wall (PW)--were used. RESULTS: Clinical cardiotoxicity was observed in two patients. No significant differences were detected in pre- and posttreatment conventional echocardiography evaluations. However, both the IVS (9.3 +/- 1.0 to 8.1 +/- 1.2 dB, P < 0.001) and PW (9.1 +/- 0.7 to 7.8 +/- 0.9 dB, P < 0.001) CVIBS values significantly decreased in all patients. All values were returned to pretreatment levels (9.2 +/- 0.9 dB in the CVIBS-IVS and 8.9 +/- 0.6 dB in CVIBS-PW, respectively) on day 15 after the treatments. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that HDLV5FU may cause acute transient alterations in CVIBS values in the absence of clinical symptoms and signs of cardiotoxicity. The clinical value of CVIBS should be further studied in patients receiving 5-FU-based therapy.

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Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the ascending aorta above the left sinus of Valsalva is exceedingly rare. We presented a case with anomalous origin of the RCA above the left sinus of Valsalva with inferior wall myocardial infarction and successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention to this artery which is the first report in the literature.

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PURPOSE: Cardiac involvement is not well defined in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cardiac involvement by transthoracic echocardiography in MPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study groups were 36 patients (mean age: 58+/-15 years, 20 female and 16 male) with MPD and 30 age-matched healthy controls. MPD group included 15 essential thrombocythemia (ET), eight chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), seven idiopathic myelofibrosis (MF) and six polcythemia vera patients. RESULTS: Valvular regurgitations were present in 14 patients (39%) and eight controls (27%), (P>0.05). Mitral regurgitation (MR) was more prominent in CML compared to controls (P=0.044). The rates of annular calcifications, valvular thickening, and vegetation like lesions were not different between MPD and control groups. Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) was present in six (17%) patients, but none of the controls (P=0.021). The rates of PHT in CML and MF were significantly higher than controls (P<0.05). The rate of PHT was not different in-between MPD patients with and without thromboembolic events, however, in MPD cases with thromboembolic events PHT was more common compared to controls (P=0.037). CONCLUSION: This study showed that valvular lesions were not more prevalent in MPD. PHT was the most prominent cardiac pathology in MPD (especially in CML, MF and thromboembolic events subgroups) compared to controls. Further evaluation of the cardiac changes in MPD subgroups with extended studies including trans-oesophageal echocardiography and longer follow-up periods would be appropriate.

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BACKGROUND: Cyclic variation of myocardial-integrated backscatter (CV-IB) offers a non-invasive myocardial contractile performance assessment. There is limited data concerning CV-IB in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. METHODS: Forty essential hypertensive (EH) patients (mean age 51+/-8 yrs) and 24 ESRD patients (mean age 49+/-14 yrs) were compared to 10 healthy controls (mean age 45+/-10 yrs). A 2D-Doppler echocardiography with digitized imaging was performed to characterize myocardial ultrasonic tissue by CV-IB between systole and diastole at the interventricular septum (IVS) and left ventricular (LV) posterior wall (PW). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between age and sex among groups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BP) were both higher in EH patients (157/96 mmHg in EH, 129/81 mmHg in ESRD and 115/77 mmHg in controls, p<0.001). Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was higher in EH and ESRD patients than in controls (respectively, 119+/-37, 130+/-46, 87+/-12 g/m2, p<0.05), while there was no significant difference found between EH and ESRD patients. EH patient CV-IB values were significantly lower than in ESRD patients and controls (respectively, 6.9+/-1.6, 8.6+/-0.7, 10.6+/-1.1 dB, p<0.001 for IVS, 7.7+/-1.3, 8.7+/-0.8, 10.4+/-1.1 dB, p<0.001 for PW). CV-IB for PW and IVS were significantly lower in ESRD patients than in controls (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CV-IB can offer useful parameters for myocardial structure in EH and ESRD patients. Further studies are needed to clarify CV-IB in ESRD patients.

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OBJECTIVE: Microalbuminuria (MA) as a marker of systemic vascular disease and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients with essential hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in cardiac cycle-dependent variation of integrated backscatter signals (CVIBS) in hypertensive patients with MA. METHODS: Randomly selected 60 hypertensive patients (mean age 51 +/- 8) with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) (>/=130 mmHg systolic and/or 85 mmHg diastolic) were included. All patients underwent urinary albumin excretion (UAE) measurements, 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, and LV echocardiographic examination. UAE was measured in two separate 24-hour urine collection and mean of two values was taken into consideration. Normotensive 20 healthy subjects served as controls. CVIBS values were obtained from mid-anteroseptal, mid-posterolateral, and mid-inferior areas at the papillary muscle level in the parasternal short-axis view. CVIBS was defined as the difference in integrated backscatter values between systole and diastole. CVIBS values in MA positive patients were compared with the values in MA negative patients and control subjects. RESULTS: Twelve patients had MA (UAE 30 to 300 mg/day) while 48 patients had normal UAE (<30 mg/day). The wall thickness (at septum and posterior) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) values were all significantly higher in hypertensive patients with MA (P < 0.01). The CVIBS values in MA positive group were significantly lower than the CVIBS values both in MA negative hypertensive patients and control subjects (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that in hypertensive patients a high LVMI is associated with reduced CVIBS values and MA appears to be a marker of hypertrophy.

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BACKGROUND: Lipid-lowering therapy was shown to have several beneficial effects in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). AIM: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of atorvastatin on platelet aggregation in patients with CAD. METHODS: Twenty-five hypercholesterolaemic patients who had angiographically proven CAD and 16 normal subjects were enrolled. All patients received 10 mg/day atorvastatin for two months. Anti-platelet agents were discontinued 15 days prior to blood sampling at the beginning and at the end of the atorvastatin therapy. Aggregometric curves of the platelets in response to ADP, collagen and epinephrine were obtained using the aggregometry (turbidimetric) technique. RESULTS: In patients with CAD, total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) basal levels were measured (230 +/- 49 mg/dl, 140 +/- 41 mg/dl, respectively). Following lipid-lowering therapy, TC and LDL-C decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The activation measurements of aggregometric curves decreased significantly compared with basal parameters in response to ADP but not in response to collagen and epinephrine. CONCLUSION: Lipid-lowering therapy with the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, atorvastatin, had a marked reduction effect on platelet aggregation.

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BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cardiotoxicity is still controversial. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of high-dose leucovorin and infusional 5-FU regimen (HDLV5FU) on cardiac tissues. METHODS: We monitored 28 patients (median age 68 years) under HDLV5FU chemotherapy with complete blood counts, cardiac enzymes, C-reactive protein, coagulation tests, Holter electrocardiogram, and conventional echocardiography. Cardiac ultrasonic tissue characterization with integrated backscatter (IBS) analysis was performed in the 16 last enrolled patients. RESULTS: The magnitude of both anterior and posterior cardiac IBS values significantly decreased at the 48th hour of treatment compared to both 0th hour and day 15 (p < 0.003). Cardiac IBS values on the 15th day were not different from the 0th hour. Clinical cardiotoxicity was not observed and other monitored parameters did not change significantly in any patient (p > 0.5 for all). CONCLUSION: Cardiac IBS analysis suggests that 5-FU might cause reversible subclinical myocardial dysfunction.

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BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The results of previous studies have suggested that an increase in heart rate (HR) may have a beneficial effect on the hemodynamic condition of patients with aortic regurgitation (AR), and reduce AR severity. An increase in HR was shown to cause a significant increase in regurgitant slope and to significantly shorten the pressure half-time (PHT), both of which are considered to be signs of worsening regurgitation. Color M-mode Doppler flow propagation velocity (FPV) was used to assess AR severity, but no data were available regarding the effects of HR on FPV measurement of AR. The study aim was to evaluate the effect of HR on FPV, and to compare FPV and continuous-wave (CW) Doppler parameter (PHT and slope) variations resulting from an increase in HR. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients (28 males, 40 females; mean age 52 +/- 15 years) with AR of various severity were included. Color M-mode Doppler was used in FPV, while CW Doppler was used in PHT and slope measurements. Atropine sulfate was titrated in all patients to achieve at least a 20% increase in HR. The FPV, PHT, slope and regurgitant fraction (RF) of AR were measured before and after the increase in HR. RESULTS: An increase in HR (77.8 +/- 8.9 versus 103 +/- 9.9 bpm; p < 0.001) caused a decrease in color M-mode Doppler FPV (51 +/- 21 versus 44 +/- 19 cm/s), in the PHT of the regurgitant velocity curve (468 +/- 154 versus 411 +/- 128 ms), and in the RF of the AR (30.2 +/- 16.3 versus 26.1 +/- 14%). The slope of the regurgitant velocity was increased (291 +/- 136 versus 358 +/- 122 cm/s2). All of these variations were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: An increase in HR caused a decrease in the FPV and RF of the aortic regurgitation, and both changes were signs of improved regurgitation. FPV appears to be a more valuable parameter than CW Doppler parameters in determining improvements in AR resulting from an increase in HR.

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A simple, reproducible, noninvasive myocardial performance index (MPI) for the assessment of overall cardiac function has been described previously. The purpose of this study was to compare the MPI obtained by pulse Doppler method with the MPI obtained by tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) in normal subjects and patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP). Fifteen patients with DCMP and 15 healthy subjects were included. In order to calculate MPI by TDE, isovolumetric contraction (IVCT), relaxation time (IVRT), and ejection time (ET) were measured at two different sites of mitral annulus: septum and lateral. MPI was calculated by dividing the sum of IVCT and IVRT by ET at each site of measurement. The mean MPI value was found by dividing the sum of these MPI values into two. The same parameters were measured using the mitral inflow and left ventricular outflow velocity time intervals in pulsed Doppler method. At all sites measured, MPI by TDE correlated well with conventional MPI both in healthy subjects and patients with DCMP. The highest correlation was observed in mean values of MPI by TDE:r = 0.94, P < 0.0001in healthy subjects; andr = 0.95, P < 0.0001in patients with DCMP. In conclusion, this study clearly demonstrated that MPI could be measured by TDE and it correlated well with conventional MPI in normal and diseased heart.

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Cyclic variation of myocardial integrated backscatter (CVIBS) and change in myocardial wall thickness (WT%) were evaluated during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Fourteen patients who underwent PTCA of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery were included in the study. PTCA was performed by inflating the balloon at the site of the LAD lesion for 1 minute. CVIBS was measured at three episodes during PTCA in the parasternal short-axis view: before the inflation, at the end of 1-minute inflation, and at the fifth-minute after deflation of the balloon. Three regions of interest were used to evaluate the three-vessel territories: mid-anteroseptal area for LAD, mid-posterolateral area for circumflex artery, and mid-inferior area for right coronary artery. The WT% was calculated in each area. In the LAD territory, CVIBS measured at the end of 1-minute inflation was lower than the values obtained before PTCA, 5.2 +/- 1.0 decibel (dB) versus 3.7 +/- 0.7 dB (P < 0.01). CVIBS magnitudes increased at the fifth-minute after the deflation back up even to higher levels than pre-PTCA values,6.1 +/- 1.0 dB versus 5.2 +/- 1.0 dB (P < 0.01). The WT% values decreased during balloon inflation but did not recover to the pre-inflation values measured at fifth-minute after deflation. In other sites, there was no change in either CVIBS or WT% values at any time studied. The observed increase in CVIBS may be an indicator of restoration of blood flow to ischemic myocardium.

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Myocardial performance index (MPI) is a simple and reproducible method for the assessment of overall cardiac function. In this study, we evaluated the applicability and usefulness of pulsed-wave tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) as a tool to calculate MPI in comparision with a conventional Doppler method. Twenty-five patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI) and 15 healthy subjects were included. In order to calculate MPI by TDE, isovolumetric contraction time (IVCT), isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT), and ejection time (ET) were measured at four different sites in the mitral annulus: septum, lateral, anterior, and inferior. MPI was calculated by dividing the sum of IVCT and IVRT by ET at each site of measurement. The mean MPI value was found by dividing the sum of these MPI values into four. The same parameters were measured using the mitral inflow and left ventricular outflow velocity time intervals by a conventional method. MPI by TDE correlated well with conventional MPI in healthy subjects (r = 0.81, P < 0.0001). Although it continued to be statistically significant, the correlation between the two methods of measuring MPI, TDE and conventional, in patients with previous MI was not as high as it was in healthy individuals (P < 0.001, r = 0.62). This is due to the lesser degree of correlation between IVRT and IVCT values obtained by TDE and the conventional method (r = 0.49, P < 0.05; r = 0.56, P < 0.05; respectively). In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that MPI could be measured by tissue Doppler and that it correlated well with conventional MPI. Moreover, MPI by TDE has the advantage of assessing both regional and global myocardial performance.

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