0000000000256258
AUTHOR
Maria Pilar Villanueva
showing 5 related works from this author
Prognostic value of the interaction between galectin-3 and antigen carbohydrate 125 in acute heart failure
2015
AIM:Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) have emerged as robust prognostic biomarkers in heart failure. Experimental data have also suggested a potential molecular interaction between CA125 and Gal-3; however, the biological and clinical relevance of this interaction is still uncertain. We sought to evaluate, in patients admitted for acute heart failure, the association between plasma Gal-3 with all-cause mortality and the risk for rehospitalizations among high and low levels of CA125. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 264 consecutive patients admitted for acute heart failure to the Cardiology Department in a third-level center. Both biomarkers were measured on admission. …
Determinants of procalcitonin concentration in acute heart failure.
2014
Age, years 73.1 ± 10.4 Male, n (%) 133 (51.0) Hypertension, n (%) 212 (81.2) Diabetes mellitus, n (%) 126 (49.4) Previous smoker, n (%) 104 (28.2) Ischemic etiology, n (%) 92 (35.3) Peripheral oedema, n (%) 187 (71.7) Previous admission for AHF, n (%) 95 (36.4) Prior use of beta-blockers, n (%) 111 (42.5) Prior use of loop diuretics, n (%) 175 (67.0) Prior use of ACEI/ARB, n (%) 134 (51.3) Heart rate, beats/min 97 ± 28 SBP, mm Hg 148 ± 34 DBP, mm Hg 81 ± 19 Atrial fibrillation, n (%) 119 (45.6) Hemoglobin, g/dl 12.1 ± 2.0 Serum creatinine, mg/dl 1.23 ± 0.57 Urea, mg/dl 60.5 ± 30.1 Sodium, mEq/l 137.8 ± 4.7 NT-proBNP, pg/ml 4813 (6011) Leukocyte count, 10 cells/l 9286 ± 3468 Relative lymphoc…
Utility of Procalcitonin for Diagnosis of Superimposed Infections in Patients With Acute Heart Failure.
2016
Respiratory infections are well-known precipitant factors for heart failure decompensations. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia, is challenging. Pneumonia and acute heart failure often display overlapping clinical findings and, in other cases, more accurate infection-related findings are missing. In recent years, procalcitonin has emerged as a promising tool for early and accurate diagnosis of pneumonia and, interestingly, for guiding antibiotic therapy in patients with acute heart failure. We discuss two cases of acute heart failure with high procalcitonin on admission and different clinical outcomes. In this setting, procalcitonin may be a useful…
Hydrogen- and Methane-Based Breath Testing and Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure
2019
Background: Recent evidence endorses gut microbiota dysregulation in the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF). Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) might be present in HF and associated with poor clinical outcomes. Lactulose breath testing is a simple noninvasive test that has been advocated as a reliable indicator of SIBO. In patients with HF, we aimed to evaluate the association with clinical outcomes of the exhaled hydrogen (H-2) and methane (CH4) concentrations through the lactulose breath test. Methods and Results: We included 102 patients with HF in which lactulose SIBO breath tests were assessed. Cumulative gas was quantified by the area under the receiver operating characte…
Procalcitonin and long-term prognosis after an admission for acute heart failure
2014
Abstract Background Traditionally, procalcitonin (PCT) is considered a diagnostic marker of bacterial infections. However, slightly elevated levels of PCT have also been found in patients with heart failure. In this context, it has been suggested that PCT may serve as a proxy for underrecognized infection, endotoxemia, or heightened proinflammatory activity. Nevertheless, the clinical utility of PCT in this setting is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the association between PCT and the risk of long-term outcomes. Methods and results We measured at admission PCT of 261 consecutive patients admitted for acute heart failure (AHF) after excluding active infection. Cox and negative binomial regressi…