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Biomedical subjects

H Tillmanns

Publications and source records attributed to H Tillmanns.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Improvement of diastolic filling in hypertensive patients treated with cilazapril.

The aim of this study was to assess the behavior of the diastolic left ventricular (LV) filling pattern and cardiac hypertrophy after treatment with cilazapril. Twelve patients (9 male and 3 female) with mild to moderate essential hypertension, aged 46 +/- 14.1 years, were treated with cilazapril for 1 year. They underwent Doppler echocardiography at the beginning (I), after 6 months (II), and after 1 year (III) of treatment. The following parameters were evaluated: mean arterial pressure (MAP) automatically recorded for 24 h, interventricular septal and posterior wall thickness, LV and end-diastolic diameter, LV mass index, early (E) and late (A) diastolic filling flow velocities, and the ratio E/A. A significant reduction in LV hypertrophy and an improved diastolic filling pattern of the left ventricle was shown after 6 months of therapy with cilazapril; this improvement still remained after 1 year of therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Increased plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation: indicators of an unfavourable clinical outcome in patients with unstable angina pectoris.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic significance of altered plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation in unstable angina. DESIGN: A prospective study of 96 consecutive patients with unstable angina allocated to one of two groups according to predefined threshold values for plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation at study entry. The patients received a standardised treatment and were followed up for six months or until angioplasty or bypass surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Frequency of myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Myocardial infarctions occurred in 7/26 patients with a plasma viscosity greater than or equal to 1.38 mPa s and in 8/35 with a rate constant of erythrocyte aggregate formation greater than or equal to 0.5 mPa (corrected for plasma viscosity) but in only 4/70 with a plasma viscosity less than 1.38 mPa s and in 3/61 with an erythrocyte aggregation less than 0.5 mPa (odds ratios: 6.1 (95% confidence interval 1.3 to 31), p = 0.008, and 5.7 (95% CI 1.2 to 35), p = 0.016). Plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation were more predictive of myocardial infarction than age, male gender, fibrinogen concentration, ST segment abnormalities, or coronary score. Furthermore, Holter monitoring with ST segment analysis showed that ischaemic episodes were more common in patients in whom the rate constant of erythrocyte aggregate formation was greater than 0.5 mPa (15/27 v 17/50, p = 0.029). Cardiac troponin T release was increased in patients with a plasma viscosity of greater than 1.38 mPa s (10/26 v 9/70, p = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with unstable angina a considerable increase in plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation identified a subgroup of patients at a high risk of acute myocardial infarction in whom medical treatment was likely to be unsuccessful.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Calcium antagonists and myocardial microperfusion.

Recent studies have improved our understanding of the beneficial actions of calcium antagonists on myocardial microcirculation and metabolism. The effect of calcium antagonists on the microcirculation of the left ventricular rat myocardium was studied using in vivo microscopic techniques. Intravenous verapamil 0.3 mg/kg and nifedipine 75 micrograms/kg produced a 15 to 18% increase in the diameter of larger A1 and A2 coronary arterioles (range 31 to 300 microns); diameters of terminal (A4) arterioles and capillaries did not change significantly. Furthermore, verapamil significantly (p less than 0.001) increased the ratio of capillaries filled with red cells to those containing plasma alone. Verapamil pretreatment produced a similarly selective dilatation of larger coronary arterioles and protected against the ischaemia-induced fall in capillary red cell content. Spectroscopic data show that verapamil also produces an increase in myocardial phosphocreatine and preservation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during ischaemia in the Langendorff-perfused heart. In patients with exercise-induced angina, gallopamil decreased global myocardial 201Tl and 123I phenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) uptake due to a reduction in myocardial oxygen consumption. Regional 201Tl and IPPA uptake as well as IPPA clearance in post-stenotic areas tended to rise after gallopamil treatment. Thus, the beneficial effects of calcium antagonists such as verapamil or gallopamil in patients with ischaemic heart disease may result from dilatation of predominantly larger arterioles. Consequently, there is an improvement in regional perfusion and free fatty acid utilisation in reversibly ischaemic regions.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Effect of gallopamil on myocardial ischaemia during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

This report summarises selected preliminary results from an ongoing study designed to investigate the effect of the calcium antagonist gallopamil on myocardial ischaemia during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). To date, 12 adult males with coronary artery disease and significant proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) have been randomly assigned to gallopamil or placebo under double-blind conditions. Patients with recent myocardial infarction, apparent collateralisation of the LAD, myocardial failure, sinoatrial or atrioventricular block, severe hepatic disease or renal failure were excluded from the study. PTCA was performed using at least 2 balloon inflations, each of 2 minutes' duration. Gallopamil 0.4 mg or placebo (normal saline) were administered during the 10-minute interval between the 2 inflations. Blood samples were taken simultaneously from the coronary sinus and the femoral artery before and immediately after each inflation. Lactate concentration and the relative amount of activated neutrophils were selected for trend analysis. Furthermore, ECG changes were analysed by calculating the sum of the absolute ST-segment deviations (80 msec after J point, maximal T deviation) of leads I, II, III, V2, V4 and V6. In the presence of gallopamil, the degree of ST-segment/T-wave changes induced by balloon inflation was reduced. Additionally, gallopamil attenuated myocardial lactate release and appeared to prevent the increase in activated neutrophils observed during control inflations. These preliminary results suggest a beneficial effect from intracoronary administration of gallopamil during PTCA, achieved by attenuation of the ischaemic reaction during coronary occlusion.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Non-invasive detection of reduced regional myocardial perfusion at rest in patients with unstable angina pectoris: increased regional 81mKr deposition following intravenous injection of 81Rb.

The present study was to investigate whether combined imaging of 81Rb and 81mKr distributions after i.v. injection of 81Rb at rest might improve the differentiation between ischemic and irreversibly damaged myocardium as compared to 201Tl scintigraphy at rest. In 21 patients who had undergone diagnostic cardiac catheterization for evaluation of chest pain, 148 MBq ultrapure 81Rb were injected i.v. at rest immediately following 201Tl scintigraphy at rest. Of 14 patients with earlier myocardial infarction, 10 patients revealed decreased regional tracer uptake of 81Rb and/or 81mKr, compared to 12 patients with regional 201Tl uptake abnormalities. In 3 patients with unstable angina pectoris, however, an evident mismatch between either the regional 201Tl or 81Rb distributions and the distribution of 81mKr was observed: in contrast to the reduced uptake of 201Tl and/or 81Rb, 81mKr activity was increased in 3 myocardial segments with normal left ventricular performance but supplied by coronary arteries with high-grade stenoses. In patients with contraindications to exercise tests (e.g. unstable angina) 81Rb/81mKr rest scintigraphy may therefore assist the differentiation between malperfused but potentially viable and irreversibly damaged myocardium.

Angina, Unstable↗
PubMed1990

Clinical aspects of cardiac tumors.

Due to surgical advances, cardiac tumors now represent a potentially curable form of heart disease. Primary cardiac tumors are very rare; secondary, metastatic tumors are 10-40 times more frequent. The majority (75%) of primary tumors is benign. Cardiac tumors may produce hemodynamic disturbances, mechanical hemolysis, biochemical effects and constitutional symptoms. According to the anatomic location of the tumor, some special symptoms and physical findings can be grouped with regard to pericardial, myocardial, and endocardial involvement. Several laboratory data (elevated sedimentation rate, anemia, thrombocytopenia etc.) may give additional hints to suggest cardiac involvement in neoplastic disease. Among the diagnostic procedures, two-dimensional echocardiography has become the most important method for non-invasive detection of cardiac tumors. The importance of invasive procedures has declined by the improvement of non-invasive imaging techniques, but pressure measurements within the cardiopulmonary system, left-sided, pulmonary angiography as well as coronary angiography give additional useful and necessary information prior to surgery. Within the spectrum of differential diagnosis, particularly mitral, aortic, or tricupid valve disease, bacterial endocarditis, or autoimmune diseases have to be ruled out. Thus, in the vast majority of cases the correct diagnosis can be made. This is crucial for further management of the patient since the majority of primary cardiac tumors can be successfully treated by surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Activation and decreased deformability of neutrophils after intermittent claudication.

This study investigated local alterations in neutrophil activation and deformability after intermittent claudication. In 17 patients with one-sided peripheral arterial occlusive disease, neutrophil count, proportion of activated neutrophils (by nitro blue tetrazolium test), and neutrophil filterability as a measure of passive deformability were assessed in the femoral arterial and venous blood of the diseased leg and in the femoral venous blood of the healthy leg (n = 10). The values were obtained at rest, immediately after claudication, and 10 minutes after claudication induced by repetitive toe stands. Immediately after exercise, the arterial and venous blood differences in the diseased leg were 1) neutrophil count, 9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5-14%; relative increase in the venous blood compared with arterial blood); 2) the proportion of activated neutrophils, 26% (CI, 10-42%); and 3) the neutrophil filterability, -10% (CI, -4% to -15%). At rest and 10 minutes after exercise, neutrophil parameters did not differ significantly between the femoral arterial and venous blood. Furthermore, no arterial and venous blood differences in the neutrophil parameters were found in the healthy leg. In addition to local changes, systemic changes occurred immediately after exercise. In the femoral arterial blood, the total neutrophil count had risen by 13% (CI, 8-18%), the proportion of activated neutrophils had risen by 41% (CI, 25-58%), and average neutrophil rigidity had risen 17% (CI, 11-22%) compared with the values obtained before exercise. At 10 minutes after exercise, all neutrophil parameters were still elevated. We conclude that even short periods of ischemia, as in intermittent claudication, cause local alterations in neutrophil function and distribution.

Arteries↗
PubMed1990

Microcirculation in the hypertrophic and ischemic heart.

1. Myocardial hypertrophy, for instance in patients with hypertensive heart disease, is characterized by a reduction of coronary vascular reserve, even in the presence of normal coronary arteries. In hypertensive animals, on the microcirculatory level functional changes can be observed before the onset of any structural rarefications. In 10 rats with renal hypertension and pressure-induced left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the microcirculation of the left ventricular myocardium was studied using in vivo fluorescence microscopy and morphometric analysis. Renal hypertension was provoked by clipping of the left renal artery. After 8 weeks, systolic blood pressure in LVH rats averaged 172 +/- 8 mm Hg, compared to 91 +/- 2 mm Hg in 10 normotensive (NT) rats. In LVH rats, distances of plasma-perfused capillaries were significantly increased (NT = 17.7; LVH = 20 microns; p less than 0.001). Volume density, surface density, and length density of capillaries in LVH rats were reduced by 20% compared to NT rats. Capillary red cell content as measured by the ratio of capillaries filled with red cells to those containing plasma alone (Q) in LVH animals exceeded that in NT rats (LVH: Q = 0.83 +/- 0.04; NT: Q = 0.77 +/- 0.04; p less than 0.025). During hypoxia (H, 5% O2) capillary red cell recruitment in LVH rats (Q: control c = 0.83; H = 0.95) was diminished by 33% as compared to NT rats (Q: c = 0.77; H = 0.95). Thus, in addition to the decreased capillary density, the reduction of capillary red cell recruitment may be responsible for chest pain in patients with LVH and normal coronary arteries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Cutaneous reactive hyperemia in short-term and long-term type I diabetes--continuous monitoring by a combined laser Doppler and transcutaneous oxygen probe.

Using a recently designed combined laser Doppler/transcutaneous oxygen probe postocclusive reactive hyperemia response was investigated in 10 healthy subjects and 33 patients with type I diabetes mellitus. From the foot dorsum sensing site simultaneous recordings of the red cell flux of the superficial skin microvasculature and cutaneous PO2 were obtained at identical measuring position and conditions. Whereas cutaneous PO2 response exhibited an uniform monophasic curve with a significantly reduced percentage increase of PO2 in short-term (p less than 0.05) and in long-term type I diabetic patients (p less than 0.001), four different laser Doppler hyperemic flux patterns were observed. Hyperemia types A and B were biphasic, type C had only a monophasic course. Apparently in type C the initial fast component of the myogenic response is missing; in type D no increase in flux or PO2 could be measured. Comparison of prevalence of these hyperemia types showed a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher prevalence of the monophasic or even absent hyperemic response in type I diabetes. The reduction in viscoelastic properties of the small arteries and arterioles in patients with type I diabetes may account for these changes which is most likely cofactor in the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Haemorheologic studies in patients with reduced coronary vasodilator capacity but normal coronary angiogram (syndrome X).

The cause of syndrome X, i.e. typical angina, positive exercise test, normal coronary angiogram, normal resting cardiac function, but reduced coronary vasodilator capacity is still unknown. The purpose of the study was to investigate blood fluidity as a possible cause of syndrome X. Haematocrit, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation, and erythrocyte deformability were examined in 14 patients with syndrome X (group 1), 24 patients with typical angina, positive exercise test, but normal coronary vasodilator capacity (group 2), and 37 patients with atypical chest pain and normal coronary arteries (control group). Coronary vasodilator capacity was determined by the argon method. Compared with normals, patients with syndrome X showed an elevated plasma viscosity (1.31 +/- 0.05 mPas vs 1.26 +/- 0.04 mPas, 2P less than 0.01), an elevated erythrocyte photometric aggregation index (141 +/- 27% vs 100 +/- 23%, 2P less than 0.01) and a reduced erythrocyte filterability (0.51 +/- 0.12 vs 0.66 +/- 0.09, 2P less than 0.01). Significant differences in the haemorheologic parameters between group 1, group 2 and the control group, however, were not detected. Multiple regression analysis did not reveal a significant relationship between coronary vasodilator capacity and the haemorheologic parameters tested. The data suggest that the reduction in coronary vasodilator capacity in patients with syndrome X cannot be attributed to haemorheologic alterations.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Haemorrheological abnormalities in unstable angina pectoris: a relation independent of risk factor profile and angiographic severity.

Plasma viscosity, photometric erythrocyte aggregation index, and erythrocyte filterability were measured in 194 patients with coronary artery disease. Patients with unstable angina (n = 64) had a higher plasma viscosity and photometric erythrocyte aggregation index than patients with stable angina (95% confidence intervals for the mean difference: 0.052-0.100 mPa.s for plasma viscosity, and 43%-72% for the photometric erythrocyte aggregation index). Multiple regression with fibrinogen, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, smoking habits, coronary artery score, and left ventricular ejection fraction as independent variables showed a significant partial correlation between fibrinogen and the photometric erythrocyte aggregation index (r2 = 0.20) and plasma viscosity (r2 = 0.09), between triglycerides and plasma viscosity (r2 = 0.05), and between aortic pressure and erythrocyte filterability (r2 = 0.03). Logistic regression for unstable/stable angina with the haemorrheological variables as independent variables correctly identified 72% of the patients with stable angina and 78% of those with unstable angina. Inclusion of all the variables investigated did not substantially improve the discriminative potential of the logistic regression model. Unstable angina is associated with an impairment of blood fluidity that is essentially independent of risk factor profile and angiographic data.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1989

[Effects of gallopamil on iodine-123-phenyl-pentadecanoic acid and thallium 201 uptake in patients with coronary heart disease].

Numerous experimental and clinical studies indicated that in the presence of coronary artery stenoses, myocardial thallium-201 and free fatty acid uptake in poststenotic regions is reduced during exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the calcium antagonist gallopamil on myocardial thallium-201 and free fatty acid uptake in patients suffering from coronary artery disease. In 6 patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease--2 patients with 1-vessel, 2 patients with 2-vessel and 2 patients with 3-vessel disease--as well as good left ventricular performance and stable, exerciseinduced angina, quantitative double-tracer scintigraphy was performed. Patients were investigated after a placebo period of 1 week, after oral gallopamil medication for 4 weeks (3 X 50 mg gallopamil daily), and after a double-blind period of 1 week. During symptom-limited exercise, 2 mCi thallium-201 and 5 mCi iodine-123 phenyl-pentadecanoic acid (IPPA) were simultaneously injected intravenously. Immediately after exercise, as well as 1 and 4 hours later, planar images were obtained in ap, 30 degrees LAO and 60 degrees LAO projections. By means of a newly developed computer algorithm, global and regional myocardial tracer uptake as well as IPPA clearance were evaluated. - Gallopamil provoked a decrease of global myocardial thallium-201 and IPPA uptake due to a reduction of myocardial oxygen consumption. Regional thallium-201 and IPPA uptake as well as myocardial IPPA clearance in poststenotic areas tended to rise following gallopamil medication. Thus, in the presence of coronary artery disease, gallopamil provokes an improvement of regional perfusion (dilatation of larger coronary arterioles) as well as an enhanced free fatty acid utilization in reversibly ischemic myocardial regions.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1988

Regional myocardial nitrogen-13 glutamate uptake in patients with coronary artery disease: inverse post-stress relation to thallium-201 uptake in ischemia.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of myocardial scintigraphy with nitrogen-13 (N-13) glutamate as a marker of myocardial metabolism. Within 2 weeks after cardiac catheterization, 25 patients with single vessel left anterior descending coronary artery disease underwent thallium-201 imaging (5 min and 3 h after injection) and N-13 glutamate scintigraphy (10 min after injection). Radionuclide studies were performed in the 30 degrees left anterior oblique projection after symptom-limited bicycle exercise, and regional tracer uptake was quantified by computer-assisted placement of regions of interest within the regions of myocardial activity. Poststenotic tracer uptake in the perfusion bed of the left anterior descending coronary artery (septum) was then normalized to the tracer uptake in the nondiseased left circumflex territory (posterolateral segments = 100%). In 14 patients with a history of previous myocardial infarction (Subgroup A), deficient poststenotic N-13 uptake correlated closely with thallium-201 uptake in both initial (r = 0.82, p less than 0.001) and redistribution (r = 0.74, p less than 0.01) scintigrams. By contrast, in 11 patients with no previous myocardial infarction and normal left ventricular function at rest (Subgroup B), initial uptake of both tracers was inverse: poststenotic N-13 glutamate uptake increased with decreasing thallium-201 uptake during exercise-induced ischemia (r = -0.64, p less than 0.05) and was closely correlated with the percent thallium-201 redistribution (r = 0.74, p less than 0.01). Thus, augmented accumulation of N-13 glutamate in reversibly ischemic (that is, viable) myocardium, and decreased uptake in myocardial scar tissue suggest the clinical usefulness of this metabolic tracer in the differentiation between viable (metabolically active) and irreversibly damaged myocardium.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1988

Noninvasive assessment of coronary artery bypass patency: determination of myocardial thallium-201 washout rates.

This prospective study was undertaken to investigate the response of thallium-201 washout rates to coronary artery bypass surgery. Thirty-four patients with coronary heart disease were studied before and after coronary artery bypass grafting, 27 patients with normal coronary arteries serving as controls. All patients underwent cardiac catheterization and thallium-201 serial imaging, including assessment of myocardial washout rates. Pre-operatively, thallium-201 washout rates yielded a considerably higher sensitivity in detection of coronary artery disease, without significant loss of specificity compared to qualitative evaluation of serial static thallium-201 scintigrams. Post-operatively, 50 of 57 segments supplied by a patent graft showed normal washout rates, while in 9 out of 11 segments an occlusion of the graft was indicated by decreased washout rates. Compared to pre- and post-operative qualitative interpretation of static thallium-201 images, the post-operative assessment of washout rates increased both sensitivity (82% vs. 64%) and specificity (88% vs. 77%) for the evaluation of bypass graft patency. Thus, quantitative assessment of thallium-201 washout rates improves the diagnostic reliability of noninvasive detection of myocardial ischaemia with regard to the evaluation of coronary artery bypass graft patency.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗