“
“Aim: To determine independent click here risk factors for recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after a successful direct current (DC) cardioversion in patients with and without diabetes.

Design: We retrospectively analysed the outcome in patients

recently diagnosed with persistent AF.

Methods: Of 364 patients included, 289 had a successful direct current (DC) cardioversion. We compared 42 (14.5) patients known to have diabetes to 247 (85.5) without. Patients were reviewed in outpatient clinic with assessment of heart rhythm clinically and by electrocardiogram. Median follow-up after DC cardioversion was 74 days [interquartile range (IQR) 6978 days].

Results: When reviewed in outpatient clinic, only 63.7 (185 of 289) were still in sinus rhythm (SR). Of the group without diabetes, 66.8 (165 of 247) remained in SR vs. 45.2 (19 of 42) of the group with diabetes (P = 0.005). Binary logistic regression analysis showed duration of AF (P < 0.0001) and the presence of diabetes (P = 0.019) have been independent risk factors for recurrence of AF.

Discussion: Presence of diabetes and the longer duration of AF were CYT387 independent risk factors for the recurrence of AF after a successful DC cardioversion.”
“Progressive loss of renal function is associated

with a dysregulation of circulating T cells that may underlie their impaired T-cell immunity. Here we tested whether end-stage renal disease (ESRD)-related T-cell alterations are compatible with the concept of premature immunological aging. Younger patients (25-45 years old) with ESRD were found to resemble older healthy controls (60-80 years old) as they had a significant loss of naive T cells and a relative increase of memory T cells showing progressive terminal

differentiation. A significant decrease in the content of T-cell receptor excision Thiamet G circles and telomere length in patients with ESRD confirmed these phenotypic data. The loss of naive T cells in patients with ESRD was associated with an excessive age-related decrease of recent thymic emigrants, indicating a premature decline in thymic function. Additionally, increased homeostatic proliferation of naive T cells was found in patients with ESRD, similar to that of older healthy individuals, with an increased susceptibility for activation-induced apoptosis. Therefore, both decreased thymic output and increased susceptibility of naive T cells for apoptosis may play a role in the loss of naive T cells in ESRD patients. Thus, our results are compatible with premature aging of the T-cell system of patients with ESRD comparable with that of healthy individuals 20-30 years older. Kidney International (2011) 80, 208-217; doi:10.1038/ki.2011.