Evaluation and comparison of biomarkers in heart failure

Objectives: To establish biomarkers available as predictors of prognosis and mortality in heart failure (HF) patients and to correlate the biomarkers with the severity and outcome of HF. Methods: This was a prospective study. 60 patients of HF were taken into the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were studied for the markers – BNP, TNF-α, troponin-I, CK-MB, CRP, uric acid, GGT and were compared with the severity and outcome in these patients. Results: Of 27 patients with BNP value less than 100 pg/ml, only 1 death occurred (3.7%) and out of 33 patients with BNP value of more than 100 pg/ml, 8 deaths occurred (24.2%). Out of the 9 deaths that had occurred, 7 deaths were in the troponin range of >0.5 ng/ml, 2 deaths in the troponin range of 0.04–0.49 ng/ml, and no deaths in the range of 0–0.03 ng/ml. 8 deaths had an elevated titer of TNF (40%) and 39 patients out of 40 were survivors who had TNF titers in the normal range (97.5%). Conclusion: BNP and TNF-α are excellent predictors of mortality and morbidity in HF. Troponin-I and CRP have shown significance in predicting the outcome in HF. GGT, uric acid, and CK-MB play no role in predicting the severity and outcome in HF

A Young Lady with a Swelling over the Back: A Rare Case of Tuberculosis

Musculoskeletal tuberculosis accounts for 1-2% of all types of tuberculosis. Tubercular abscess of the chest wall accounts for 1-5% of all cases of musculoskeletal tuberculosis. Herein, we report a case of tubercular abscess of the chest wall. The occurrence of caries rib and cold abscess of the chest wall with concomitant pulmonary tuberculosis, and tubercular lymphadenitis of neck and mediastinum has rarely been described in an immunocompetent individual. The rarity of our case lies in the fact that the patient was immunocompetent with cold abscess due to caries rib, with rare association of pulmonary tuberculosis and tubercular lymphadenitis of neck and mediastinum