B-Type Natriuretic Peptide as a Marker of Different Forms of Systemic Sclerosis

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease which affects various tissues and organs, including skin, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. Cardiac involvement is the most commonly recognized problem and a significant cause of morbidity. The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a previously known marker of elevated cardiovascular risk in SSc, but the levels of BNP in various forms of SSc have not been investigated so far. Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of SSc on the function of the right ventricle and the right atrium using the echocardiographic parameters. Moreover, we examined the levels of BNP in different forms of SSc as well as the association of disease severity with the plasma concentrations of BNP. Methods: We included 42 patients with newly diagnosed SSc and patients whose disease had been diagnosed earlier. SSc patients and non-SSc control patients were examined by using echocardiography and the concentrations of BNP were determined. Results: We analyzed differences in the parameters of right ventricle (RV) function and right atrium (RA) function between SSc patients and healthy controls. The two groups had similar distribution of gender, but SSc patients were significantly older than controls. RV wall thickness was increased in SSc patients (p lt 0.001), while right ventricular end-systolic area (RVEDA; p=0.408) and right ventricular end-diastolic area (RVEDA; p=0.368) did not differ among the examinees. In contrast, RA minor-axis dimension (p=0.001) and the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) (p=0.001) were significantly higher in SSc patients. Also, we analyzed differences in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations between diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (DSSc) and limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (LSSc) patients. DSSc patients had significantly higher concentrations of BNP. We found that levels of BNP were in significant positive correlations with age (p=0.007), disease duration (p=0.023), C reactive protein (CRP) (p=0.032), right ventricle fractional area change (FAC) (p=0.022), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and Rodnan score (p=0.019). Conclusions: Given the obtained results, the laboratory determination of BNP could be useful in differentiating different forms of systemic sclerosis as well as in predicting the severity of the disease and future cardiovascular complications

The importance of tests applied to evaluate the effectiveness of antiplatelet therapy in patients with recurrent coronary stent thrombosis

Background. Stent thrombosis is potentially lethal complication with huge economic burden. The role of insufficient response to antiplatelet therapy is still unclear reason for its occurrence. Case report. We presented 54-year-old man with recurrent stent thrombosis on the 4th, 9th and 12th day after the primary percutaneous coronary intervention in spite of double antiaggregation therapy (aspirin+ clopidogrel). All possible procedural causes were excluded and reimplantation of intracoronary stent was insufficient to resolve the problem, so four platelet tests were performed: flow cytometry, Platelet Function Analyzer-100 test, aggregometry, and determination of gene polymorphism for P2Y12 receptor (directly involved in the mechanism of thienopyridine), and GPIIbIIIa receptor (final receptor in aggregation). The patient was the carrier of the major haplotype H1H1 for P2Y12 receptor and minor A1A2 for GPIIbIIIa receptor. The results of all the performed tests showed insufficient antiplatelet effect of aspirin and sufficient response to thienopyridin (not to clopidogrel, but to ticlopidine). Conclusion. Performance of platelet function tests is necessary in the case of major adverse cardiac events especially stent thrombosis, after implantation of intracoronary stent

Blood concentrations of B-type natriuretic peptide and N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide as markers of left ventricle diastolic function in patients with chronic renal failure

Background/Aim. Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) have increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is unknown which biomarkers best describe the degree of diastolic dysfunction in patients with CRF. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (DD-LV) with the degree of CRF. Methods. The study included 100 adult patients with CRF without major cardiac and cerebral incidents who did not start actively treating CRF. According to the degree of CRF, the patients were divided into two groups: G1 (moderate degree), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ≥ 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, and G2 (more severe degree), GFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2. Blood concentrations of BNP and NTproBNP were measured and Doppler echocardiographic measurement performed to estimate diastolic dysfunction (DD-LV). According to the degree of DD-LV, all the patients were divided into two groups: DD-LV1 (mild diastolic dysfunction) and DD-LV2 (severe diastolic dysfunction). According to the degree of CRF and DD-LV, the patients were divided into four groups: I (G1, DD-LV1), II (G1, DD-LV2), III (G2, DD-LV1) and IV (G2, DD-LV2). Results. There was a highly significant statistical correlation between BNP and NTproBNP with GFR (p < 0.001), and DD-LV with BNP (p < 0.023) and NTproBNP (p = 0.035). In patients with DD-LV2, a statistically significantly higher BNP concentrations were registered in patients with G2 (p < 0.001). Unlike BNP in the patients with diastolic dysfunction DD-LV1 and those with diastolic dysfunction DD-LV2, significantly higher concentrations of NTproBNP were registered in the patients with G2 (DD- LV1: p = 0.006; DD-LV2: p < 0.001). Conclusion. Biomarkers BNP and NTproBNP are not the best predictors in the assessment of diastolic dysfunction because they are correlated with the degree of renal insufficiency

The role of lung transthoracic ultrasound in clinical practice

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Psoriasis is the independent factor for early atherosclerosis: A prospective study of cardiometabolic risk profile

Background/Aim. Psoriasis as multisystemic inflammatory dis-ease is related with an increased cardiometabolic risk. The aim of the study was to analyze risk biomarkers, peripheral and renal arteries ultrasonography and echocardiography for subclinical atherosclerosis and metabolic disease in 106 subjects (66 psoriasis patients and 40 controls, 20 eczema patients and 20 healthy volunteers). Methods. In all exameenes following parameters were analyzed: body mass index (BMI), C-reactive protein, D-dimer, serum amyloid A (SAA), apolipoprotein (Apo) A1, ApoB, ApoB/Apo A1 index, fasting glucose, C-peptide, fasting insulinemia, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA-β-cell, lipid profile, serum uric acid concentration (SUAC), 24-h proteinuria and microalbuminuria. Carotid, brachial, femoral and renal arteries ultrasonography, as well as echocardiography was also performed. Results. Five of 66 (7.6%) psoriasis patients had metabolic syndrome (not present in both control groups). The following variables were increased in patients with psoriasis compared to both control groups: BMI (p = 0.012), insulinemia (p < 0.001), HOMA-IR (p = 0.003), HOMA-β cell (p < 0.001), SUAC (p = 0.006), ApoB/ApoA1 ra-tio (p = 0.006) and microalbuminuria (p < 0.001). Also, increased C-peptide (p = 0.034), D-dimer (p = 0.029), triglycerides (p = 0.044), SAA (p = 0.005) and decreased ApoA1 (p = 0.014) were found in the psoriasis patients compared to healthy controls. HDL cholesterol was decreased in the psoriasis patients compared to the control group of eczema patients (p = 0.004). Common carotid (CIMT) and femoral artery intima-media thickness (FIMT) was significantly greater (p < 0.001) and the maximal flow speed (cm/s) in brachial artery significantly de-creased (p = 0.017) in the patients with psoriasis in comparison to both control groups. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after the adjustment for confounding variables, the most important predictor of CIMT and FIMT was the diagnosis of psoriasis (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Cardiometabolic risk biomarkers and ultrasonographic signs of early atherosclerosis are correlated with the diagnosis of psoriasis, and not to generalized eczema. Psoriasis was found to be an independent risk factor for subclinical atherosclerosis