BACKGROUND: The interest of patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries has been increased since 1960. From the year 1973, the syndrome representing these characteristics has been classified as syndrome X. Treadmill test and exercise TI-201 SPECT are important in the diagnosis of syndrome X. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical value of exercise TI-201 SPECT and the difference of clinical characteristics between exercise TI-201 SPECT positive(Group A) and negative (Group B) in patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram. METHODS: Twenty seven patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram underwent echocardiogram and exercise TI-201 SPECT. Patients received 2 mCi of thallium intravenously during exercise, redistribution images were performed 4 hour later and second dose of 1 mCi of thallium was injected at rest immediately thereafter. These three sets of image(stress, redistribution and reinjection) were analyzed. RESULTS: 1) 12 of 16 patients in Group A, none of 11 patients were positive on exercise treadmill test(p<0.005). 2) The incidence of systemic hypertension in Group A was significant greater than Group B(p<0.05). 3) The left ventricular end diastolic pressure was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The exercise TI-201 SPECT is a useful method to evaluate the patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiogram and the reversible perfusion defects on the exercise TI-201 SPECT might be related to systemic hypertension and elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure.
Blood Pressure ; Chest Pain* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Perfusion ; Thallium ; Thorax* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Objective: To investigate the relationship of thallium exposure and outcomes of births. Methods: A total of 3 236 mothers who had visited in Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health-Care Hospital between May 2013 and September 2014 were included in this study and their thallium concentrations measured from samples of maternal and umbilical cord blood by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results were correlated and evaluated with birth outcomes of the infants, using the multiple linear regression method. Results: The median (P(25)-P(75)) of thallium levels in first trimester, second trimester and umbilical cord blood were 61.7 (50.8-77.0), 60.3 (50.8-75.2) and 38.5 (33.6-44.1) ng/L, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, the thallium levels showed an inversely significant association with birth head circumference (unstandardized β coefficient=-0.41, 95%CI: -0.76- -0.06) in the first trimester blood, and associated with reduced birth length (unstandardized β coefficient=-0.65, 95%CI: -1.25- -0.05) in umbilical cord blood. However, there appeared no significantly associations with birth weight, length and head circumference (P>0.05) in second trimester. On stratification by sex, in girls but not in boys, the thallium levels were adversely associated with birth head circumference (unstandardized β coefficient=-0.53, 95%CI: -1.05--0.01) in the first trimester and were associated with decreased birth weight (unstandardized β coefficient=-277.08, 95%CI: -485.13- -69.03) and length (unstandardized β coefficient=-1.39, 95%CI: -2.26- -0.53) in umbilical cord blood thallium. Conclusions: Thallium exposure appeared a gender difference in newborn birth outcomes. In the first trimester, it was negatively associated with the birth head circumference, in the umbilical cord blood, and reduced birth weight and length in girls.
Adult ; Birth Weight ; Environmental Pollutants/blood* ; Female ; Fetal Blood/metabolism* ; Fetus/metabolism* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome/epidemiology* ; Thallium/blood*

Specific apolipoprotein (apo) E genotype has been suggested as a risk factor for atherosclerosis in the general population. Lipid metabolism is known to be modulated by apo E genotype. In this study, we measured apo E genotype, lipoprotein (a)[Lp (a)], apo A phenotype and other lipoproteins in 50 CAPD patients, and evaluated the association of lipid parameters with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Dipyridamole thallium scan with SPECT and ankle- arm blood pressure index (AABI) were performed in all the subjects. The patients who had positive finding in at least one of the two test were considered to have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease [CVD (+)]. Fifteen patients had evidence of cardiovascular disease. Serum Lp (a) concentration (median; interquartile range) of CVD (+) patients (n=15, 62.0 mg/dl; 29.5-82.3) was not different from that of CVD (-) patients (n=35, 65.1mg/dl; 34.3-89.9). The frequency distribution of apo (a) phenotype of CVD (+) patients did not differ from that of CVD (-) patients. In addition, there were no differences of other lipoproteins levels and lipid profiles between two group. However, significant difference in the frequency distribution of apo E genotype (E2; 6.7 vs 20%, E3; 40 vs 68.6%, E4; 53.3 vs between CVD (+) and CVD (-) patients. After stratifying the subjects according to the apo E genotype, we observed no difference of lipid profiles, apolipoproteins and Lp (a) concentration in E2, E3, E4. Multivariate regression analysis of risk factors for CVD revealed age and the presence of apo E4 phenotype as independent risk factors of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In conclusion, Apo E4 genotype could be an independent risk factor of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in CAPD patients.
Apolipoprotein E4 ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; Arm ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Dipyridamole ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoproteins ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Phenotype ; Risk Factors ; Thallium ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerotic vascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients. C-reactive protein (CRP) appears to be clinically useful in prediction of coronary heart disease. Elevated pulse pressure has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among apparently healthy adults. Therefore, we evaluated the association between a persistent elevation of C-reactive protein level, pulse pressure and the presence of ischemic heart disease in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). METHODS: A total of 71 CAPD patients (42 males, 29 females) who underwent thallium SPECT and followed up more than 6 months were included. We collected the data about age, sex, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, pulse pressure and body mass index. Blood levels of albumin, total cholesterol, fibrinogen, lipoprotein (a) and C-reactive protein were measured. RESULTS: The values of C-reactive protein, pulse pressure, smoking and fibrinogen were significantly higher in thallium SPECT positive group (p<0.05). A 0.01 mg/dL increase in C-reactive protein was associated with a 1.014 increase in the odds of having an elevated risk of coronary artery disease (95% confidence interval 1.008-1.019) and a 1 mmHg increase in pulse pressure was associated with a 1.017 increase in the odds of having an elevated risk of coronary artery disease (95% confidence interval 1.011-1.023). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, C-reactive protein and pulse pressure were independent risk factors for ischemic heart disease. Log CRP level was positively correlated with pulse pressure level (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The baseline level of CRP and pulse pressure independently predicts the risk of coronary heart disease in CAPD patients. For patients who have a persistent elevation of CRP and pulse pressure without an apparent cause, we recommend a workup for ischemic heart disease.
Adult ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Disease ; Dialysis ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thallium ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Vascular Diseases