Plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a marker of endothelial dysfunction/damage, are elevated in high-risk hypertensive patients and in patients with severe aortic regurgitation (AR). Patients with mild-to-moderate AR, frequently detected in hypertensive elderly, have additional left ventricular morphological and functional dysfunctions. We hypothesized that hypertensive patients with mild-to-moderate ...

BACKGROUND: Chagas' disease (CD) affects around 18 million people in Latin America. To determine the diagnostic and prognostic value of natriuretic peptides in patients with CD, we measured atrial (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and compared the findings with other dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM). METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from ...

OBJECTIVES: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels correlate with prognosis in patients with cardiac disease and may be useful in the risk stratification of cardiac patients undergoing noncardiac surgery (NCS). The objective of this study was to examine whether BNP levels predict perioperative events in cardiac patients undergoing NCS. METHODS: Patients ...

BACKGROUND: BNP and its N-terminal fragment NT-proBNP have proven to be of diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with valvular aortic stenosis. Data regarding those biomarkers in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) are sparse. Thus it was the aim of the present study to evaluate the diagnostic and the ...

BACKGROUND: In adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels correlate with dyspnoea class and other markers of disease severity. In children with HCM, symptoms are a poor guide to disease severity and no studies have evaluated the clinical utility of BNP testing. OBJECTIVE: To assess the ...

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies suggest that "diastolic heart failure" (DHF) is common and has a prognosis similar to that of systolic heart failure (SHF). We wanted to assess whether patients with breathlessness who were being treated for DHF had objective evidence of cardiac impairment and exercise limitation. METHODS: Consecutive patients with ...

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that vascular disease contributes to cognitive impairment and dementia. Clarification of the role of vascular risk factors in dementia is important because most are modifiable, in contrast to other risk factors such as age and genetics. METHODS: In 451 patients with mental illness we have ...

OBJECTIVES: Cardiomyopathy is a well known complication in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP). Troponin T and B-natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been shown to be excellent markers for heart complications in AL-amyloidosis. The aim of the study was to investigate troponin T, troponin I and BNP as markers for myocardial damage and ...

BACKGROUND: Optimal risk stratification in heart failure patients surviving an episode of acute decompensation has not yet been established. We investigated whether a lack of significant decrease in plasma levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) during hospital stay can identify patients at high risk of poor outcome. METHODS: We ...

AIM: Assessment of acute and chronic cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines in patients treated for acute leukemia (AL) with biochemical markers - "N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide" (NT-proBNP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB mass), and echocardiography. METHODS: Twenty-six adult AL patients (mean age 46.2 +/- 12.4 years, 15 males) ...

BACKGROUND: There are limited data for prognostic and diagnostic use of natriuretic peptides in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We evaluate amino-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the medical ICU, specifically its correlation with noncardiac admission diagnosis and prognosis of critically ill patients. METHODS: NT-proBNP (pg/mL) was measured in 179 ...

INTRODUCTION: The cardiac biomarkers cardiac Troponin T (cTNT) and NT-proBNP tend to be elevated in nearly all hemodialysis patients. The high percentage and magnitude of these increased molecules is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. This study investigates the impact of the dialysis procedure itself on cardiac ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare ultrafiltration under continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and automated PD (APD), disclosing potential effects on serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and echocardiographic findings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional clinical study included 32 patients on CAPD and 30 patients on APD without clinical evidence of heart failure ...

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide (N-proBNP), renal dysfunction and anemia in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. METHODS: We analyzed data from a prospective cohort of 153 patients (mean age 64 years) with CHF referred to our hospital center. Clinical, echocardiographic and ...

N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is elevated in patients with heart failure. Numerous clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy of spironolactone in heart failure; however, no studies have directly examined the effects of spironolactone treatment on NT-proBNP level. This study investigated whether NT-proBNP levels decrease with daily spironolactone treatment. The ...

BACKGROUND: Anthracyclines (AC) are useful antineoplastic agents, whose utility is limited by progressive cardiotoxicity. Our purpose was to evaluate plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), as a screening test for detecting late cardiac dysfunction in AC-treated children and to determine the prevalence of late cardiac dysfunction at low cumulative AC doses. ...

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of the level of interleukin (IL)-18 in patients after acute ischemic stroke (IS) has not been completely investigated. This prospective cohort study examined whether the circulating IL-18 level can predict 90-day outcome of IS. METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma IL-18 level was obtained from blood samples taken ...

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic utility in critically ill patients. For severe sepsis and septic shock patients in particular, similar clinical utility from the most proximal aspects of hospital presentation to the intensive care unit has not been examined. BNP levels were measured at 0, 3, ...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in tumors correlates with the incidence of an elevated prothrombin time (PT), specifically an international normalized ratio (INR) > or = 1.4, in patients undergoing primary surgical cytoreduction for ovarian cancer. METHODS: INRs were ...

AIMS: To assess the value of a near-patient brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) test to predict medium term (3 month) serious outcome for adult syncope patients presenting to a UK emergency department (ED). METHODS: This was a prospective cohort pilot study. Consecutive patients aged > or = 16 years presenting with ...

Recently, an association between minimally elevated cardiac troponin levels and cardiovascular risk in the general population has been reported. However, the prevalence and clinical importance of elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels remain unclear in patients with histories of myocardial infarction (MI). In this study, 1,807 consecutive patients with ST-segment ...

BACKGROUND: Recently, case reports of patients treated with imatinib (imatinib mesylate; Gleevec; Glivec) indicated that this tyrosine kinase inhibitor may induce cardiomyopathy. Consequently, careful cardiac monitoring was advocated for clinical studies. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate whether imatinib (Gleevec) induces early, subclinical, cardiac toxicity. PATIENTS AND ...

Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels are associated with increased risk for mortality in patients with non-ST-segment-elevation (NSTE) acute coronary syndromes (ACS). However, the optimal use of BNP measurement for the risk stratification of these patients remains unclear. This study was conducted to analyze patterns of, and factors associated with, ...

BACKGROUND: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is increasingly being used to treat inflammatory and autoimmune disease. OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the efficacy of IVIG as an adjunct treatment for pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). PATIENTS/METHODS: Ten patients with PG were treated with IVIG at Johns Hopkins Department of Dermatology. All patients had severe mutilating and/or ...

Adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin are involved in the regulation of inflammation. Ghrelin, a gastric peptide playing a role in the appetite regulation, possesses anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we evaluated the circulating levels of adipokines (leptin as potential proinflammatory and adiponectin as anti-inflammatory marker) and ghrelin and the ...

Cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a highly sensitive and specific indicator of myocardial cell death, may be elevated in congestive heart failure (CHF). The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that decompensated CHF may be associated with an increase in cTnT release and to correlate between cTnT levels ...

OBJECTIVE: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) is characterized by pathological vascularization of the parietal membrane. Plasma leakage from immature vessels may be involved in hematoma enlargement and recurrence. We tested the hypothesis that the antiangiogenic side-effect of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor treatment for the control of arterial hypertension reduces the risk ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Levels of natriuretic peptides and their changes in the course of therapy may serve as a prognostic marker of long-term survival in patients with heart failure. The authors compared natriuretic peptide levels in patients with heart failure at admission and at hospital discharge and examined the relationship ...

INTRODUCTION: For diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (DDF), measurement of relaxation velocity (V(R)) by tissue Doppler imaging (V(R)), flow propagation velocity of transmitral inflow (v(p)) as well as the measurement of serum levels of N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) compete with the standard echocardiographic DDF-measures because ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) to predict mortality or detect acute ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: This study included 1,552 patients with stable (n = 1,059) or unstable (n = 493) CAD undergoing percutaneous ...

BACKGROUND: Although measurement of serum creatine kinase levels, as well as myoglobin levels, has been used for screening patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the specificity of both is low. Measurement of cardiac troponin levels is now extensively used for the diagnosis of ACS because of their superior cardiac specificity. ...

N-Terminal-probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) plasma levels are elevated in patients with congestive heart failure. Published data concerning the utility of NT-proBNP in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are lacking. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical significance of NT-proBNP in patients with HCM. A blood sample was collected for plasma NT-proBNP measurement ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is no established standard care of carcinoids as all experts agree. Endogenous somatostatin diurnal rhythm is influenced by administration of lanreotid. The purpose of this study is to evaluate efficacy of lanreotid on the clinical course in a group of patients with metastatic carcinoid. METHODOLOGY: In 43 patients ...

BACKGROUND: In patients without cardiac disease, obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with systolic and diastolic dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy. Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been demonstrated to improve left ventricular structure and function in these patients, the effects of oral-appliance therapy on cardiac function ...

Rapid-assay biomarkers may predict outcomes in patients with decompensated heart failure (HF). This study assessed whether rapid-assay B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and troponin I predicts length of stay and mortality and correlates with pulmonary artery catheter (PAC)-derived hemodynamics in patients hospitalized with acute HF. There were 141 nonconsecutive patients in ...

PURPOSE: For ovarian cancer patients receiving maintenance treatment after complete clinical response to primary therapy, we tested the predictive value of the following early signal of progressive disease (EPD) criterion based on serum CA-125: for patients with CA-125 nadir <or= 10 U/mL, a confirmed value of >or= 20 U/mL serves ...

OBJECTIVE: Multiple studies in sepsis have demonstrated that elevated troponin is associated with poor outcome. The elevated troponin in this situation is thought to be secondary to microthrombi. We hypothesized that recombinant human activated protein C (APC) treatment would improve outcomes in severe sepsis patients who have elevated troponin. METHODS: ...

The present study assessed the relationship between central nervous system (CNS) side effects and plasma concentrations of efavirenz (EFV) in Japanese HIV-1-infected patients. Subjects consisted of 69 HIV-1-infected patients (57 therapy-naive and 12 therapy-experienced patients) being treated using EFV in combination with other antiretroviral agents at the outpatient HIV clinic. ...

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who undergo pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). We studied whether plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels can be used to identify RV dysfunction in CTEPH patients. Therefore, plasma BNP levels were studied ...

OBJECT: Few studies have addressed the prognostic implications of D-dimer in patients with pulmonary embolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between D-dimer levels and mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Hospitals participating in the Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad Tromboembólica (RIETE). ...

Circulating vasogenic factors may be up-regulated in response to ischemia to promote angiogenesis in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Studies on this are limited in number and size, and results are inconsistent, especially regarding basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) level. From March 1999 to April 2004, all consecutive patients ...

BACKGROUND: Narcolepsy is a severe sleep disorder that in most patients is characterized by the deficiency of central orexin. Clinically, narcolepsy is associated with obesity. Currently, there is a literature controversy about the potential alteration of leptin levels in narcoleptic patients. Theoretically, diminished leptin levels could partially contribute to the ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) each predict adverse cardiac events in chronic heart failure (CHF). However, little is known about the utility of these novel biomarkers of CHF in combination. HYPOTHESIS:: We hypothesized that simultaneous assessment of the three biomarkers ...

Plasma levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) are increased in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Beta-blockers (BB) may influence these levels but it is unclear whether changes in NT-pro BNP reflect concomitant changes in prognosis. To assess the prognostic importance of NT-pro BNP at baseline and during ...

BACKGROUND: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is related to symptomatic status and outcome in aortic stenosis (AS) patients. Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) demonstrated recently a BNP-like behaviour in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) but has never been studied in AS patients. We aimed to assess the role of CA125 and ...

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) production increases in critically ill septic patients. We assessed the hypothesis that BNP is elevated in patients with community-acquired infections without severe sepsis or septic shock. We studied 54 patients [20 males, median age 39 (interquartile range 23, 71)] without heart disease, persistent arrhythmias, or renal ...

BACKGROUND: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level has been shown to increase in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF) without overt heart failure (HF). Although atrial electrical remodeling associated with CAF has been described, little is known about the effects of the BNP level on the electrophysiological properties in CAF patients. ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of an oxidative stress, C-reactive protein (CRP) and N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) biomarkers in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The study population contained 100 patients with AMI and 40 healthy subjects. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive ...

The aim of the study was to examine the predictive value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) versus electrophysiologic study in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) after myocardial infarction (MI). We prospectively studied 99 consecutive patients with a history of MI who underwent ICD implantation for primary or secondary prevention ...

BACKGROUND: Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been used to estimate prognosis in heart failure; however, most studies have evaluated decompensated patients with single measurements. To determine if there are advantages to serial measurements, we evaluated stable chronic heart failure patients every 3 months for 2 ...