The novel inflammatory marker NLR may be used to predict worse outcomes and hospital mortality in patients with AAD treated by surgical repair.

In conclusion, we found that serum UA concentration and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were significantly associated with aortic dilatation. The higher serum UA concentration may be responsible for the elevated serum antioxidant capacity that was observed among individuals with AscAA. Large-scale epidemiological studies conducted over several years are required to correlate the cross-sectional findings from this study with clinical outcome.

No abstract

he vascular endothelium plays an integral role not only in regulation of vascular tonus, but also in prevention and formation of thrombus and inflammation. 1 It is known that endothelial dysfunction is associated with coronary risk factors and atherosclerosis, and has a close pathophysiological relation with acute coronary syndromes. [2][3][4] Endothelial dysfunction has been shown in patients with documented atherosclerosis, but it is also an early step in the pathogenesis of the atherosclerotic cascade. [5][6][7] Among various methods to assess endothelial function, endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDV) is a noninvasive, highly reproducible, simple method based on high-sensitivity ultrasound waves. 7,8 In this study we assessed the relationship between EDV in systemic arteries and coronary risk factors in patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Patient PopulationOne hundred and fifty patients with angiographically proven CAD (103 males, 47 females), age ranging between 29 and 78 years (mean: 58±10), were recruited. CAD was defined as the presence of angiographically demonstrated ≥70% stenosis in at least 1 major epicardial coronary artery. Hypertension (HT) was defined as blood pressure ≥140/ 90 mmHg or use of antihypertensive drugs and diabetes mellitus (DM) as fasting blood glucose level ≥126 mg/dl or use of antidiabetic agents. All study subjects underwent a complete physical examination, and biochemical, electrocardiographic and body mass index (BMI) measurements. Vascular endothelial function in the brachial artery was measured by the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) technique. Patients with acute coronary syndromes, severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <35%) or old myocardial infarction were excluded from the study. Vascular StudyEach subject was studied in the morning, after abstaining from alcohol, caffeine and tobacco, as well as food, within 8 h before the study. High-resolution echocardiography Doppler ultrasound (Technos MPX ultrasound ESOTA Inc) with an 8.0 MHz transducer was used to measure the Circ J 2007; 71: 698 -702 (Received August 1, 2006; revised manuscript received January 22, 2007; accepted February 9, 2007 Background Results of experimental and clinical studies suggest that both coronary artery disease (CAD) itself and its traditional risk factors lead to endothelial dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to determine which CAD risk factors sustain their contribution to endothelial dysfunction despite the presence of established CAD. Methods and ResultsThe study group comprised 150 patients with CAD. Using a high-resolution ultrasound, the diameter of the brachial artery at rest and during reactive hyperemia (flow-mediated dilatation, FMD%: endothelial-dependent stimulus to vasodilatation), as well as after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin (NTG%: endothelium-independent vasodilatation), was measured.

NLR, as a novel cardiovascular risk marker, is an important, simple and inexpensive method which can be used by the cardiologist as a screening inflammation tool to estimate the development of CCC in patients with CTO.