Review Article

Cardiac Autonomic Control Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of Chagas' Heart Disease

Table 2

Baseline serum levels of norepinephrine, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone in chagasic and non-chagasic patients with advanced congestive heart failure. The baseline serum levels of norepinephrine (NE), plasma renin activity (PRA), and aldosterone (ALDOST) of the chagasic patients were not different from those of the non-chagasic patients (see [36], with permission from Elsevier).

Non-Chagasic patients (n = 7)Chagasic patients (n = 6)
NEPRAALDOSTNEPRAALDOST

26982.3325515706.30166
8246.4032689010.50363
12116.57636280016.87518
21492.20107482735.57457
10523.4091820001.08147
12919.701486
975
Mean ± S.D.1.457 ± 695*5.10 ± 2.96448 ± 325**2262 ± 1404*14 ± 13*330 ± 168**
Confidence interval (95%)942; 19725; 10312; 5831705; 28189; 19194; 465

NE: plasma norepinephrine (pg/mL); PRA: plasma renin activity (ng/mL per h); ALDOST: plasma aldosterone (pg/mL). *P < 0.001 as compared to normal controls. **P < 0.05 as compared to normal controls.