Objectives: Malnutrition is frequently seen in stroke patients. Malnutrition worsens the prognosis and increases the mortality rate in acute ischemic stroke patients. Malnutrition is a significant factor not only in the initiation of infection but also in its progression. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a new index that evaluates the nutrition and inflammatory status. This study aims to investigate the relationship between PNI and stroke-related infection (SRI) development during hospitalization in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: Acute ischemic stroke was the primary diagnosis for 158 patients who were admitted to the neurology intensive care unit. Patients’ demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were recorded. PNI was calculated according to the formula given below. PNI: 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (mm³). PNI > 380 normal, PNI: 350–380 moderate malnutrition risk, PNI < 350 severe malnutrition risk. Results: A total of 158 patients with acute ischemic stroke were included in the study. There were 70 male and 88 female patients, whereas the mean age of the patients was 67.79 ± 14.0 years. Nosocomial infection developed in 34 (21%) of the patients. Compared to high PNI scores, patients with low PNI scores were generally older, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, atrial fibrillation, infection, mortality rate, and hospitalization rates were all significantly higher. Conclusions: In this study, we discovered that patients with poor PNI had a considerably increased rate of infection development. It is vital to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with acute ischemic stroke during hospitalization.

Background The genetic influence on the myocardial performance index is uncertain, so the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene on the right ventricular myocardial performance index (RVMPI) after a first acute anterior myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results The subjects were 116 patients with a first acute anterior MI. Based on the polymorphism of the ACE gene, they were classified into 3 groups: deletion/deletion (DD) genotype (group 1, n=45), insertion/deletion (ID) genotype (group 2, n=58), insertion/insertion (II) genotype (group 3, n=13). Echocardiograms were used to determine the RVMPI, left ventricular myocardial performance index (LVMPI), tricuspid E/A, tricuspid deceleration time and the left ventricular diameter diastolic and diameter systolic (LVDd and LVDs). RVMPI and LVMPI were significantly higher in the ACE DD group. Tricuspid E/A, DT, LVDd and LVDs showed no differences among the 3 groups. Conclusion The ID polymorphism of the ACE gene may affect RVMPI and LVMPI after a first acute anterior MI. (Circ J 2005; 69: 211 - 215)

Transthoracic echocardiography is used for assessment of right ventricular (RV) function. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a new tool to assess myocardial function. The aim of this study was to evaluate RV function using STE in patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) before and the first month after percutaneous closure. We prospectively examined 32 consecutive patients (9 male, 23 female) who underwent percutaneous transcatheter closure (PTC) of secundum ASD from June 2013 to December 2015. Echocardiography was initially performed upon admission, prior to cardiac catheterization and then the first month after PTC of secundum ASD. Thereafter, the peak global RV longitudinal strain (RVLSR) was analyzed by two-dimensional STE. The mean age of the patients was 34.6 ± 8.2 years, and the mean diameter of the occlusive devices was 18.5 ± 7.5 mm. RV end diastolic diameters were significantly larger and decreased significantly after ASD closure (43 ± 5 vs. 38 ± 4 mm, p < 0.05). Left atrium diameters (40 ± 8 vs. 37 ± 6 mm, p < 0.05) decreased significantly after the intervention, whereas left ventricle end-diastolic diameters (45 ± 5 vs. 46 ± 4 mm, nonspecific) remain unchanged. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion increased significantly (17.6 ± 5.4 vs. 22.3 ± 8.1 mm, p < 0.05). RV myocardial performance index significantly improved (0.38 ± 0.15 vs. 0.29 ± 0.08, p < 0.05). After interventional closure of the defect, we observed a significant increase of the longitudinal RV strain (28.3 ± 5.6% vs. 22.4 ± 4.3%, p < 0.001). Two-dimensional strain appears to facilitate the assessment of RV function and its response to correction of volume overload after PTC of secundum ASD.