Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları
Yayınlar
- MakaleAçık Erişim2026Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value as an Independent Indicator of Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia
Tunca, Cagatay; Özkan, Mehmet Taha; Ergin, Berin Nur; Gök, Saner Bahadir; Tas, Alperen; Kürklü, Haci Ali; Akbuga, Kursat; Tanik, Veysel Ozan; Özlek, Bulent
Objective: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is increasingly recognized as an active inflammatory vascular disorder rather than a benign anatomical variant. The pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) is a novel biomarker integrating neutrophil, monocyte, platelet, and lymphocyte counts, providing a comprehensive measure of systemic inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PIV and CAE and to compare their diagnostic performance with that of conventional inflammatory indices. Method: In this retrospective case-control study, 17,538 patients who underwent elective coronary angiography between 2018 and 2024 were screened. A total of 228 patients with isolated CAE and 296 age-, sex-, and Body Mass Index (BMI)-matched controls with normal coronary arteries were included. Hematologic and biochemical parameters were analyzed, and inflammatory indices were calculated. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to identify independent predictors and assess diagnostic performance. Results: Patients with CAE had significantly higher PIV levels compared to controls (801.6 [504.4-1301.8] vs. 491.8 [302.4-872.7], P < 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression, log-transformed PIV remained independently associated with CAE (odds ratio [OR]: 1.987, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.057-3.737, P = 0.033), along with hypertension, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and serum creatinine. PIV demonstrated the highest discriminative ability among all inflammatory indices (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.674, 95% CI: 0.623-0.722), and correlated strongly with the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) (P = 0.75-0.94). Conclusion: Elevated PIV levels are independently associated with CAE, reflecting the pivotal role of systemic inflammation in its pathogenesis. Given its simplicity and availability, PIV may serve as a practical adjunctive marker for identifying patients at risk of CAE, warranting validation in larger prospective studies.
- Editöre MektupAçık Erişim2026Reply to the Letter to the Editor: Enhancing Risk Stratification in Coronary Artery Ectasia: The Synergy of Inflammation and Metabolic Scores
Tunca, Cagatay; Özkan, Mehmet Taha; Ergin, Berin Nur; Gök, Saner Bahadir; Tas, Alperen; Kürklü, Haci Ali; Akbuga, Kursat; Tanik, Veysel Ozan; Ars, Kardiyol Dern
- MakaleAçık Erişim2025Athlete's Heart in Women's Contact Sports: Echocardiographic and Strain-Based Insights From Elite Rugby Players
Tunca, Cagatay; Gök, Saner Bahadir; Günes, Ozan; Özkan, Mehmet Taha; Tas, Alperen; Ibis, Ayse Nur Ozkaya; Sahin, Yusuf Bozkurt; Akdogan, Murat; Kivrak, Ahmet; Akbuga, Kursat
Background: Athlete's heart encompasses cardiac adaptations to long-term intensive training. Although male-dominated sports have been widely studied, limited data exist on structural and functional cardiac remodeling in female contact-sport athletes. This study aimed to evaluate cardiac changes in elite female rugby players using conventional and strain echocardiography. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 66 elite female rugby players and 50 sedentary controls. Anthropometric measurements and transthoracic echocardiographic assessments, including speckle tracking-derived global longitudinal strain (GLS), were performed. Linear, multivariable, and partial correlation analyses evaluated associations between GLS, active playing years (APY), and body mass index (BMI). Results: Compared to controls, athletes exhibited increased ventricular diameters, wall thicknesses, and left atrial size, with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). GLS values were significantly lower in rugby players (p < 0.001), though within normal limits. APY and BMI both showed significant inverse correlations with GLS (r = -0.456 and -0.370, respectively). In multivariable analysis, APY (beta = -0.392, p = 0.001) and BMI (beta = -0.225, p = 0.013) independently predicted GLS. Partial correlation confirmed the independent association of APY with GLS (r = -0.412, p = 0.001). GLS showed strong discriminative performance for >= 5 years of play (AUC = 0.816) and moderate performance for BMI >= 24.13 (AUC = 0.666). Conclusion: Elite female rugby athletes demonstrate physiological cardiac remodeling, including reduced GLS associated with training duration and BMI. These findings highlight the need for sex- and sport-specific echocardiographic reference values and further longitudinal research to clarify long-term clinical implications.