Aim: The prognostic value of circulating antibodies to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (anti-oxLDL) in patients with coronary heart disease is not completely clear. We aimed to investigate the association between levels of anti-oxLDL in three groups of patients with different grades of severity of coronary heart disease. Patients and methods: The study included 101 patients classified into three groups: one (N=35) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a group (N=35) with angiographicallly proven coronary artery disease (APCAD), and a group without angiographicallly proven coronary artery disease (N=31) designated as a control group. Levels of IgG anti-oxLDL antibodies were meausured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Mean anti-oxLDL value was significantly higher in patients with AMI than in patients with APCAS (1342.1±581.5 mIU/ml vs. 553.0±183.3 mIU/ml, p<0.001), as well as compared with control group (1342.1±581.5 mIU/ml vs. 246.5±114.3, p<0.001). Similarly, significant difference in anti-oxLDL levels was found between the patients with APCAS and control group (p<0.001). Conclusions: The present study showed that elevated levels of anti-oxLDL are positively related with a severity of coronary artery disease. Hence, elevated levels of anti-oxLDL may identify patients with unstable coronary heart disease. Oxidized LDL in circulating plasma could serve as a marker of cardiovascular events.

The aim of this study was to analyze (i) ratios between pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 (IL-1), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stable angina pectoris (ii) as well as correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 in AMI and (iii) correlation between IL-6 and lipoproteins in AMI.The total of 71 patients were enrolled in this study, 41 of them with AMI (study group) and 30 with stable angina pectoris (control group). The concentrations of cytokines and lipoproteins were measured from blood samples. Pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios were calculated by dividing concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines with IL-10. In statistical analyses we used descriptive statistics, normality tests and analysis of correlation.IL-6: IL-10 ratio is significantly higher in AMI than in stable angina (P < 0,001), TNF-alpha: IL-10 is also higher in study group but the difference is not significant. We found positive linear correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 (r =0,43; p = 0,015) and negative linear correlation between IL-6 and high density lipoprotein HDL (r = -0,47; p= 0,008) in AMI.IL-6: IL-10 ratio is higher in AMI than in stable angina. There is linear correlation between IL-6 and IL-10 and IL-6 and HDL in AMI.

We aimed to evaluate levels of amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptid (NT-proBNP) in prediction of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in heart failure patients. Prospective study on 60 consecutive patients with symptoms and signs of heart failure was performed. Blood samples for NT-proBNP analysis was taken from all test subjects and echocardiography was also done in all of them. According to LVEF value, patients were divided into four groups; those with <or=30%, 31 to 39%, 40 to 49% and >or=50%. NT-proBNP values correlated with LVEF value. Regression analysis was used to evaluate how well NT-proBNP values predict LVEF. We used Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve calculation to evaluate diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP in estimation of LVEF. Average value of NT-proBNP in test group was 3191.69+/-642.89 pg/ml (p<0.001). Average value of NT-proBNP decreased with higher LVEF categories with significant (p<0.001) and high negative correlation (r= -0,75). Stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis showed that logarithmic value of NT-proBNP was excellent predictor of LVEF value (p<0.05). Model equation based on regression analysis was LVEF=88.645-15.311 x log (NT-proBNP). Predictive model for LVEF yielded from regression analysis had sensitivities of 98% and 81%, specificities of 20% and 90%, positive predictive values of 86% and 78% and negative predictive values of 67% and 92% for predicting patients with LVEF<50% and LVEF<40%, respectively. There was negative linear correlation between NT-proBNP and LVEF. NT-proBNP was excellent predictor of LVEF value (p<0.05).

The aim of this trial was to examine the effects of antihypertensive fixed combination of lisinopril plus hydrochlorothiazide (Lopril H, Bosnalijek dd, Bosnia and Herzegovina) on regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with essential arterial hypertension. We included 297 patients in our trial, aged 54.65+/-9.6 years, with treated or untreated hypertension and with high risk of cardiac events, in an opened trial of therapy based on lisinopril plus hydrochlorothiazide. Patients from five European countries were followed up for a period of 12 weeks. Duration of treatment was 12 weeks. We adjusted daily doses of lisinopril plus hydrochlorothiazide after every clinical examination and recorded adverse effects of drugs. In the beginning and after 12 weeks of treatment, 277 patients (93.2%) underwent 2-dimensional echocardiography and there were 186 patients evaluated for efficacy of treatment on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We recorded a regression of index mass LVH (168.56 vs 161.51 g/m2, P<0.0001), and regression was something more in women vs men. We recorded average reduction of left ventricular mass index for patients with LVH (N=186) by 7.05 g/m2 (4.18%) in all patients, by 6.73 g/m2 (3.93%) in men and 7.27 g/m2 (4,37%) in women. The proportion of patients who attained a regression of left ventricular mass tended to be greater in men (54.55% vs 53.21%). This research has proved regression of LVH in more than 53% patients after using fixed combination of lisinopril plus hydrochlorothiazide.