The nature of the human soul and its immortality in the thought of Plato and St. Paul

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Correlation between myocardial enzyme serum levels and markers of inflammation with severity of coronary artery disease and Gensini score: A hospital-based, prospective study in Greek patients

Vasileios Peppes, George Rammos, Efstathios Manios, Eleni Koroboki, Stylianos Rokas, Nikolaos ZakopoulosDepartment of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, GreeceBackground: Our objective was to associate serum levels of myocardial enzymes and inflammatory biomarkers with severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).Patients and methods: 123 patients participated in our study, including 65 cases of acute myocardial infarction (MI), 27 cases of newly diagnosed CAD – without MI – and 31 controls. In all subjects, myocardial serum enzyme levels (creatine phosphokinase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase) and inflammatory indices (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, white blood cells, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) were measured. Patients were all submitted to coronary angiography and CAD severity was evaluated by Gensini score.Results: Significant differences concerning enzyme serum levels and inflammatory indices were found to exist between the three study groups, being highest among patients with acute MI (p < 0.001). A significant  association was demonstrated between Gensini score and serum enzyme levels as well as inflammatory biomarkers.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that serum levels of myocardial enzymes and inflammatory indices correlate with CAD severity in Greek patients.Keywords: myocardial enzymes, inflammation, coronary angiography, coronary artery diseas

Effects of Recombinant Human Thyrotropin Administration on 24-Hour Arterial Pressure in Female Undergoing Evaluation for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Objective. Thyroid-stimulating-hormone (TSH) receptors are expressed in endothelial cells. We investigated whether elevated TSH levels after acute recombinant TSH (rhTSH) administration may result in alterations in blood pressure (BP) in premenopausal women with well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Designs. Thirty euthyroid DTC female patients were evaluated by rhTSH stimulation test (mean age 40.4 ± 8.6 years). A 24 h ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) monitoring (24 hr ABPM) was performed on days 2-3(D2-3). TSH was measured on day 1(D1), day 3(D3), and day 5(D5). Central blood pressure was evaluated on D3. Twenty-three patients were studied 1-4 weeks earlier (basal measurements). Results. TSH levels were D1: median 0.2 mU/L, D3: median 115.0 mU/L, and D5: median 14.6 mU/L. There were no significant associations between TSH on D1 and D3 and any BP measurements. Median D5 office-SBP and 24 h SBP, DBP, and central SBP were correlated with D5-TSH ( < 0.04). In those where a basal 24 h ABPM had been performed median pulse pressure was higher after rhTSH-test ( = 0.02). Conclusions. TSH, when acutely elevated, may slightly increase SBP, DBP, and central SBP. This agrees with previous reports showing positive associations of BP with TSH

Brain Oscillations Elicited by the Cold Pressor Test: A Putative Index of Untreated Essential Hypertension

Objective. Essential hypertension is associated with reduced pain sensitivity of unclear aetiology. This study explores this issue using the Cold Pressor Test (CPT), a reliable pain/stress model, comparing CPT-related EEG activity in first episode hypertensives and controls. Method. 22 untreated hypertensives and 18 matched normotensives underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). EEG recordings were taken before, during, and after CPT exposure. Results. Significant group differences in CPT-induced EEG oscillations were covaried with the most robust cardiovascular differentiators by means of a Canonical Analysis. Positive correlations were noted between ABPM variables and Delta (1–4 Hz) oscillations during the tolerance phase; in high-alpha (10–12 Hz) oscillations during the stress unit and posttest phase; and in low-alpha (8–10 Hz) oscillations during CPT phases overall. Negative correlations were found between ABPM variables and Beta2 oscillations (16.5–20 Hz) during the posttest phase and Gamma (28.5–45 Hz) oscillations during the CPT phases overall. These relationships were localised at several sites across the cerebral hemispheres with predominance in the right hemisphere and left frontal lobe. Conclusions. These findings provide a starting point for increasing our understanding of the complex relationships between cerebral activation and cardiovascular functioning involved in regulating blood pressure changes

Fibrinogen beta variants confer protection against coronary artery disease in a Greek case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although plasma fibrinogen levels are related to cardiovascular risk, data regarding the role of fibrinogen genetic variation in myocardial infarction (MI) or coronary artery disease (CAD) etiology remain inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of <it>fibrinogen A (FGA)</it>, <it>fibrinogen B (FGB) </it>and <it>fibrinogen G (FGG) </it>gene SNPs and haplotypes on susceptibility to CAD in a homogeneous Greek population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped for rs2070022, rs2070016, rs2070006 in <it>FGA </it>gene, the rs7673587, rs1800789, rs1800790, rs1800788, rs1800787, rs4681 and rs4220 in <it>FGB </it>gene and for the rs1118823, rs1800792 and rs2066865 SNPs in <it>FGG </it>gene applying an arrayed primer extension-based genotyping method (APEX-2) in a sample of CAD patients (n = 305) and controls (n = 305). Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), before and after adjustment for potential confounders.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>None of the <it>FGA </it>and <it>FGG </it>SNPs and <it>FGA, FGB, FGG </it>and <it>FGA-FGG </it>haplotypes was associated with disease occurrence after adjustment. Nevertheless, rs1800787 and rs1800789 SNPs in <it>FGB </it>gene seem to decrease the risk of CAD, even after adjustment for potential confounders (OR = 0.42, 95%CI: 0.19-0.90, p = 0.026 and OR = 0.44, 95%CI:0.21-0.94, p = 0.039, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>FGA </it>and <it>FGG </it>SNPs as well as <it>FGA, FGB, FGG </it>and <it>FGA-FGG </it>haplotypes do not seem to be important contributors to CAD occurrence in our sample. On the contrary, <it>FGB </it>rs1800787 and rs1800789 SNPs seem to confer protection to disease onset lowering the risk by about 50% in homozygotes for the minor alleles.</p

Ανάλυση της επιθετικής ανάπτυξης της ρεάλ μαδρίτης και εύρεση αποτελεσματικότητας εντός επιθετικής ζώνης στο champions league την περίοδο 2015-2016

Σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας είναι η παρατήρηση, η μελέτη και η καταγραφή των τεχνικοτακτικών ενεργειών που πραγματοποίησε μία ομάδα από την έναρξη της επίθεσης, μέχρι την τελική ενέργεια, με στόχο να εξάγουμε σημαντικές πληροφορίες ως προς την αποτελεσματικότητα τους μέσα στην επιθετική ζώνη. Για τον σκοπό αυτό εξετάστηκαν συνολικά 13 αγώνες της Ρεάλ Μαδρίτης, πρωταθλήτρια του Champions league. Συνολικά 286 φορές εισήλθε στο επιθετικό τρίτο. Η μέθοδος που χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την διεκπεραίωση της έρευνας ήταν η βιντεοανάλυση. Από τα αποτελέσματα προέκυψε ότι η πλειοψηφία εισόδου στο επιθετικό τρίτο πραγματοποιούταν είτε από απλό συνδυασμό (35,31%), είτε από ατομικές ενέργειες (30,77%), είτε από διεισδυτικές μεταβιβάσεις (26,22%), ενώ ελάχιστες φορές χρησιμοποιήθηκαν τακτικές όπως το overlapping (1,05%) και η πάσα 1-2 (2,80%). Διαπιστώθηκε επίσης, ότι η Ρεάλ Μαδρίτης επιτέθηκε τις περισσότερες φορές με τον τρόπο οργανωμένης επίθεσης (69,31%), λιγότερο με αντεπίθεση (29,24%) και ελάχιστα με άμεση επίθεση (1,44%). Στο πρώτο τέταρτο του δευτέρου ημιχρόνου εισήλθαν τις περισσότερες φορές στο επιθετικό τρίτο (21,33%) σε σχέση με τα άλλα τέταρτα του παιχνιδιού. Από το σύνολο των εισόδων μόλις το (9,79%) επιτεύχθηκε τέρμα, ενώ το (48,25%) υπήρξε απώλεια κατοχής, το (23,78%) άουτ, μπλοκάρισμα από τον τερματοφύλακα (12,94%) και (5,24%) ξεκίνησε νέα επίθεση. Τα αποτελέσματα προσφέρουν χρήσιμες πληροφορίες για τον τρόπο που η Ρεάλ Μαδρίτης στέφθηκε πρωταθλήτρια Ευρώπης και για την στρατηγική που όρισε ο προπονητής της. Από τα δεδομένα απορρέει, πως τα προγράμματα προπόνησης πρέπει να προσανατολίζονται περισσότερο σε παιχνίδια κατοχής μικρού χώρου, σε ασκήσεις που δημιουργούν τις κατάλληλες προϋποθέσεις για ατομικές ενέργειες και τέλος για δημιουργία χώρου για διεισδυτικές μεταβάσεις.N

Blood pressure management in acute stroke: A long-standing debate

Although elevated blood pressure (BP) levels are a common complication of acute stroke, whether of ischaemic or haemorrhagic type, a long-standing debate exists regarding the management of post-stroke hypertension. In the absence of solid, randomised data from controlled trials, the current observational evidence allows different approaches, since theoretical arguments exist for both lowering BP in the setting of acute stroke (reduce the risk of stroke recurrence, of subsequent oedema formation, of rebleeding and haematoma expansion in patients with cerebral bleeding) as well as leaving raised BP levels untreated (avoid reduction in cerebral perfusion pressure and blood flow to viable ischaemic tissue in the absence of normal autoregulation). The present review will summarize the evidence for and against the therapeutic manipulation of BP in acute stroke provided by the currently available observational studies and randomised trials, consider the ongoing clinical trials in this area and address the present recommendations regarding this conflicting issue. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel