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Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of global mortality. The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) gene has been implicated in atherosclerosis; however, its relationship with lipoprotein subfraction profiles remains unclear. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association between the CXCL12 rs1801157 C>T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk in a Turkish population. The secondary objective was to evaluate the relationship between this polymorphism and LDL and HDL lipoprotein subfraction profiles. Methods: This case–control study included 139 patients with angiographically confirmed CAD and 125 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions were analyzed using the Lipoprint^® polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and major cardiovascular risk factors. Results: No significant differences in rs1801157 genotype or allele distributions were observed between groups (overall χ² = 0.459, p = 0.796). Logistic regression confirmed that the polymorphism was not an independent predictor of CAD risk (CT: OR = 1.396, p = 0.409; TT: OR = 1.458, p = 0.694). HDL-C was an independent protective factor (OR = 0.952, 95% CI: 0.910–0.996; p = 0.029). Notably, TT homozygous carriers exhibited significantly higher large HDL (p = 0.018) and intermediate HDL (p < 0.001) subfraction levels and markedly lower small LDL concentrations (p < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression confirmed these associations were independent of age, sex, and BMI. Conclusions: The CXCL12 rs1801157 variant does not directly influence CAD susceptibility but modulates lipoprotein quality by promoting larger HDL subfractions and reducing atherogenic small LDL particles, suggesting an indirect cardioprotective role through lipid metabolism.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an increasingly recognized disease. Several recent advanced imaging techniques and parameters have been introduced into the diagnosis of CA. However, the first step in using those techniques is clinical suspicion. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is the main entity in rising the suspicion of CA in routine echocardiography, although it is not a diagnosis for CA. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of CA and its subtypes and predictive value of clinical and echocardiographic red flags of CA among consecutive adult patients with LVH identified during routine echocardiographic examination in 25 tertiary institutions in Türkiye. This was a prospective observational multicenter, national registration study. Patients with LVH (interventricular septum thickness ≥13 mm or >15 mm in those with hypertension) were screened for CA stepwise. The first step was a clinical questionnaire for the red flags of CA. Those having ≥2 red flags were further analyzed by detailed echocardiography, blood tests, Tc-pyrophosphate (PYP) bone scintigraphy, and histopathological examination if needed. Parameters associated with CA were evaluated via univariate and multivariate analyses. Wild-type transthyretin (wTTR) vs. mutant-type TTR (mTTR), CA discriminators were also evaluated in the same manner. A total of 420 patients meeting these criteria were included in the study. With a standardized algorithmic approach, 27.1% (114) of patients received a CA diagnosis. Among these patients with CA, 50.8% (58) were diagnosed with immunoglobulin free chain (AL) CA, 38.6% (44) with wTTR CA, and 7% (8) with mTTR CA. Left ventricular apical sparing pattern and restrictive type LV filling on echocardiography, low QRS voltage on ECG, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, low blood pressure, right ventricular diameter, and an increased basal heart rate (HR) were independent predictors for CA diagnosis. When it comes to diagnosis of wTTR CA; advanced age (age >75), lower troponin values, absence of pericardial effusion and absence of proteinuria were the independent predictors. Cardiac amyloidosis is highly prevalent in a patient population with LVH and 2 red flags who underwent a standardized algorithmic approach, in which apical sparing, restrictive filling pattern, low QRS voltage, carpal tunnel syndrome, low blood pressure, and increased HR are the highly suggestive signs of CA. Among this pool of newly diagnosed CA patients in Türkiye, AL-CA constituted 50.8%, wTTR CA 38.6%, and mTTR CA 7%, emphasizing that approximately 1 in 2 patients diagnosed with CA may have TTR CA.

Background: The authors investigated the relationship between weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy and change in atrial electromechanical delay values. Methods: A total of 41 patients were included... Plain language summary Obesity is associated with heart rhythm disturbances. Synchrony between the electrical and mechanical activities of the heart is adversely affected in people with obesity. In...

Background: Coronary calcium shows the atherosclerosis burden in coronary arteries and is associated with adverse cardiac events. Agatston score is the most widely used scoring sys-tem to quantify coronary artery calcium. In this study, we aimed to establish the factors associated with the change in Agatston score in time. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent multiple coronary computerized tomo-graphic angiographies and had Agatston score measurements were included in the study. The change of Agatston score was compared among cardiovascular risk groups. Linear regres-sion model was formed to detect independent variables affecting the change in Agatston score.Results: A total of 126 patients were included in the study. 63 patients had zero baseline Agatston score. Patients with hypertension, diabetes or previous coronary artery disease history had significantly higher Agatston score changes than those without. Age and previous coronary artery disease increased the risk of Agatston score increase over time whereas zero baseline Agatston score decreased the risk.Conclusions: Age and previous coronary artery disease history are independent risk factors for the increase in Agatston score over time. Baseline Agatston score of zero decreases the risk of subsequent increase in Agatston score.

Objective Since many studies focused on the relationship between mean platelet volume (MPV) and severity of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or investigated MPV and coronary artery disease (CAD) mostly on acute coronary syndrome (ACS), this study primarily focused to investigate if MPV values have any relation with different levels of CAD specifically in T2DM patients, who had no previous coronary artery disease, and no ACS history. Materials And Methods T2DM patients who had first coronary angiography (CAG) between November 2019 and February 2020, and whose after night fasting blood tests were performed before CAG were included. Two cardiologists, blinded to the patients, evaluated angiographies. Patients have divided into groups accordingly; normal coronary artery (Group 1), non-critic stenosis (Group II), and severe CAD (Group III) according to the Gensini score. Patients’ demographics, heart rate, risk factors of CAD, and blood test including MPV were also collected. Results A total of 180 patients (88 female, 92 male) were involved in the study. There was no significant relation between MPV and the severity of CAD in T2DM patients (p=0.228). The mean age of the Group I group was significantly lower than in other groups (p=0.228), and there were significantly lower males in Group I than other groups (p=0.0001). The triglycerides levels were significantly low in Group I than in other groups (p=0.021 and p=0.006). Conclusion MPV values were not associated with the severity of CAD in stable patients. Older age, male gender, higher levels of triglycerides, and initial glucose levels were significantly related to the severity of CAD in T2DM patients.

Aim: The relationship between heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels and atherosclerosis was investigated in multiple studies. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between HO-1 levels and coronary SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Patients who had been planned to undergo invasive coronary angiography due to a suspected CAD, between the dates of September and December 2019, were included in the study. Serum HO-1 levels were measured from peripheral venous blood. The SYNTAX score was calculated using standard coronary angiography images. Regression analysis was performed to establish the relationship between HO-1 levels and the SYNTAX score. Results: In total, 137 patients were included. The median age was 63 years (IQR: 15), and most of the patients were male (75.2%). The median HO-1 level was 1.44 (IQR: 0.88) ng/mL, and the median SYNTAX score was 6 (IQR: 13). Regression analysis showed that HO-1 is the single most important variable associated with the SYNTAX score (HO-1 levels from 1.01 to 1.87 ng/mL, OR: 6.77, 95% confidence interval 5.18–8.36, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In this study, serum HO-1 levels were significantly associated with the coronary SYNTAX score.