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Pulmonary edema and cardiac dysfunction following subarachnoid hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary edema (PE) can occur in the early or late period following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The incidence of each type of PE is unknown and the association with ventricular dysfunction, both systolic and diastolic, has not been described. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 178 consecutive patients with SAH surgically treated over a three-year period. Patients with pulmonary edema diagnosed by a radiologist were included. Early onset SAH was defined as occurring within 12 hours. Cardiac function at the time of the PE was analyzed using hemodynamic and echocardiographic criteria of systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Pulmonary edema was observed in 42 patients (28.8%) and was more often delayed (89.4%). Evidence of cardiac involvement during PE varied between 40 to 100%. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary edema occurs in 28.8% of patients after SAH, and is most commonly delayed. Cardiac dysfunction, both systolic and diastolic, is commonly observed during SAH and could contribute to the genesis of PE after SAH.

Adult↗

Tissue Doppler imaging in the evaluation of left ventricular function in young adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI) have been reported in patients with early stages of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Whether these abnormalities are associated with diastolic dysfunction in this stage remains to be established. The aim of the study is to evaluate diastolic function in young normotensive patients with ADPKD by using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), the most sensitive method available to date. METHODS: Thirty-two young clinically normotensive patients aged 21 to 30 years were compared with 23 controls with similar ages. Ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) was performed to confirm normal blood pressure. Subsequently, patients and controls underwent echocardiography using transmitral Doppler and TDI. RESULTS: LVMI was greater in patients with ADPKD than controls (89.3 +/- 17.7 versus 77.6 +/- 15.9 g/m2; P < 0.02). No significant differences were found in transmitral Doppler and TDI results. When ABPMs were taken into account, 11 patients had mild hypertension and showed increased LVMI and decreased early diastolic peak velocity (E wave: 67.0 +/- 12.0 cm/s in hypertensive patients with ADPKD versus 81.4 +/- 3.3 cm/s in normotensive patients with ADPKD versus 79.3 +/- 2.9 cm/s in controls; P < 0.04) and decreased TDI peak early diastolic annular velocity (11.6 +/- 2.8 cm/s in hypertensive patients with ADPKD versus 13.2 +/- 1.6 cm/s in normotensive patients with ADPKD versus 13.4 +/- 1.6 in controls; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Diastolic dysfunction is not a prominent sign in young normotensive patients with ADPKD.

Adult↗

Regional diastolic function in normotensive versus hypertensive subjects: comparison using Doppler myocardial imaging.

BACKGROUND: Pulsed Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI) is a new technique that makes it possible to obtain an on-line quantitative assessment of wall motion in different myocardial segments through sample-volume placement. Therefore, this tool is suitable for identifying changes in regional diastolic function in uncomplicated arterial hypertension. In this study, we examined standard Doppler-derived indexes of global left ventricular diastolic function and regional diastolic parameters obtained by pulse-wave DMI in a population of hypertensive patients, comparing them with the indexes found in a control group of normotensive subjects. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with uncomplicated hypertension and 10 normotensive subjects (all males) underwent a complete Doppler echocardiographic examination and a pulsed DMI assessment of 4 different myocardial segments: basal and middle septum, basal and middle lateral wall. RESULTS: The 2 groups were comparable in age and heart rate, but body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and left ventricular mass index were higher in hypertensives. All of the transmitral diastolic measurements were impaired in hypertensives, without any difference in the Doppler indexes of global systolic function. While there were no changes in the regional systolic measurements, most of the DMI parameters for diastolic function changed significantly in all 4 of the segments examined, with a greater statistical difference at the basal and middle septum. We found a relationship between the number of segments involved in the diastolic dysfunction (ie with peak velocity E/A < 1) and the degree of impairment of the transmitral E/A ratio solely in the hypertensive population. CONCLUSIONS: DMI is a useful tool for distinguishing left ventricular diastolic function in hypertensive patients and it provides information about the extent and degree of diastolic impairment in different myocardial segments. The basal and middle septum present more evident diastolic alterations. Minor but significant changes can be identified at the basal and middle lateral walls. The higher the prevalence of the myocardial segments involved in diastolic dysfunction, the greater the impairment of the global diastolic function of the left ventricle will be.

Analysis of Variance↗

Left ventricular filling abnormalities and obesity-associated hypertension: relationship with overproduction of circulating transforming growth factor beta1.

This study has been designed to evaluate the relationship among transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and some measurements of diastolic function in a population of hypertensive subjects with normal left ventricular ejection fraction. We studied 67 hypertensive outpatients who according to their BMI levels were subdivided into three groups: lean (L), overweight (OW) and obese (OB) hypertensives (HT). Circulating TGFbeta1 and M- and B-mode echocardiography was determined. All hypertensives were further subgrouped, according to European Society of Cardiology Guidelines, into two subsets of patients with normal diastolic function or with diastolic dysfunction. Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was determined in all the groups. TGFbeta1, left ventricular mass (LVM), LVM/h(2.7), E-wave deceleration time and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) were significantly (P < 0.005) higher and E/A velocity ratio was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in OW-HT and OB-HT than in L-HT. Prevalence of LVH was significantly higher (P < 0.03) in group OB-HT than in L-HT. TGFbeta1 (P < 0.004), LVM/h(2.7) (P < 0.001) and prevalence of LVH were (P < 0.01) significantly higher in hypertensives with diastolic dysfunction than hypertensives with normal diastolic function. TGFbeta1 levels were positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.60; P < 0.0001), LVM/h(2.7) (r = 0.28; P < 0.03), IVRT (r = 0.30; P < 0.02) and negatively with E/A ratio (r = -0.38; P < 0.002) in all HT. Multiple regression analysis indicated that TGFbeta1, BMI and IVRT were independently related to E/A ratio explaining 71% of its variability (r = 0.84; P < 0.0001). This relationship was independent of LVH, age and HR suggesting that TGFbeta1 overproduction may be considered a pathophysiological mechanism in the development of left ventricular filling abnormalities in obesity-associated hypertension.

Adult↗

Cardiac dysfunction in acromegaly: evidence by pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To verify whether the accuracy of data on myocardial function provided by pulsed-wave tissue Doppler imaging (PWTDI), a new echocardiographic application that allows quantitative measurements of myocardial wall velocities, could help towards a better understanding of the natural history of acromegalic cardiomyopathy. DESIGN: Eighteen patients with active acromegaly (ten men and eight women; mean age 48.0+/-15.0 years) with no other detectable cause of heart disease underwent PWTDI. Thirteen healthy individuals matched for age and body mass index acted as a control group. METHODS: Ejection fraction (EF), transmitral early/late diastolic velocity (E/A) ratio and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) were measured by conventional echocardiography; systolic peak (Sv) and early (Ev) and late (Av) diastolic peak velocities, Ev/Av ratio and regional IVRT (IVRTs) were obtained by PWTDI. RESULTS: All patients showed appreciably abnormal left ventricular global diastolic function represented by prolongation of the IVRT (P<0.001). Using PWTDI we found a prolongation of IVRTs and inversion of the Ev/Av ratio. In addition, the Ev/Av ratio proved to be significantly negatively correlated with IVRT; this correlation was not present in the case of the E/A ratio. Furthermore, a decrease in Sv was detected in the basal segment of the lateral wall (P<0.01), which had the greatest degree of diastolic dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: PWTDI confirmed the acknowledged diastolic dysfunction that accompanies acromegalic cardiomyopathy and highlighted the greater sensitivity of regional PWTDI with respect to global Doppler diastolic indexes. Furthermore, by revealing an impairment of regional systolic function in presence of a normal EF, the findings with PWTDI contradicted the largely accepted theory that systolic function remains normal for several years in patients affected by acromegalic cardiomyopathy.

Acromegaly↗

Ultrasonic backscatter and diastolic function in hypertensive patients.

This study was designed to assess whether ultrasonic reflectivity, evaluated by a real-time integrated backscatter analysis, was related to the severity of diastolic dysfunction, as studied by Doppler echocardiography in patients with essential hypertension. One hundred nine subjects were included in the study. Diastolic function was assessed by mitral-inflow Doppler ultrasound recordings. Backscatter cyclic variation and maximal intensity were measured in 6 regions throughout the left ventricle. The subjects were classified in 5 groups according to blood pressure and diastolic function: 29 normotensives with normal diastolic function (group 1), 18 hypertensives with normal diastolic function (group 2), 47 hypertensives with a delayed relaxation pattern (group 3), 11 hypertensives with a pseudonormal filling pattern (group 4), and 4 hypertensives with a restrictive filling pattern (group 5). The highest cyclic variation was found in groups 1 and 2, the lowest in groups 4 and 5 (5.7+/-0.2 dB in group 1 and 5.7+/-0.2 dB in group 2 versus 2.9+/-0.3 dB in group 4 and 2.1+/-0.4 dB in group 5; P<0.001), with intermediate values in group 3 (5.2+/-0.2 dB). Cyclic variation was inversely correlated with left ventricular chamber stiffness (P<0.05) and directly correlated with midwall fractional shortening (P<0.02) in all hypertensives. No differences in maximal intensity were found among the 5 groups of subjects. These results show an association between diminished cyclic variation of backscatter and deterioration of diastolic function in hypertensive patients. Thus, alterations in this parameter may be useful for the assessment of diastolic dysfunction in hypertension.

Adult↗

The relationship between left ventricular geometric remodeling and cardiac function in essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal left ventricular (LV) diastolic relaxation is an early sign of hypertensive heart disease. Whether diastolic dysfunction differs between LV geometric patterns remains controversial. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined 220 hypertensive patients by echocardiography to assess the relationship between diastolic function and LV geometric pattern. We identified four LV geometric patterns: normal geometry, concentric remodeling, concentric hypertrophy, and eccentric hypertrophy. Diastolic function was evaluated by the E/A ratio, E wave deceleration time (Dct), and isovolumic relaxation time (IRT). The E/A ratio was below one and Dct was prolonged in each group. The duration of IRT in the concentric and eccentric hypertrophy groups was significantly longer than that in normal geometry and concentric remodeling groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hypertensive patients may be possible to have diastolic dysfunction, regardless of the differences in their structural geometry. The degree of impairment of cardiac diastolic function differed between hypertensive patients with different LV geometric patterns.

Aged↗

Clinical and echocardiographic determinants of ultrasound lung comets.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound lung comets (ULCs) are an echographic sign of extravascular lung water, that originate from water-thickened interlobular septa. AIM: To establish the echocardiographic correlates of ULCs. METHODS: 340 in-hospital patients (68 +/- 12years, 115 females) admitted to adult cardiology department underwent upon admission a separate evaluation of chest ULCs and a comprehensive 2D and Doppler echocardiography assessment, including the degree of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (from 0 = normal to 3 = restrictive pattern). A patient ULC score has been obtained by summing the number of ULCs from each of the scanning spaces in the anterior right and left chest, from second to fifth intercostal space. RESULTS: Multivariate linear regression analysis identified New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (OR = 2.1, CI = 1.4-2.9), ejection fraction (OR 0.954, CI = 0.928-0.981) and degree of diastolic dysfunction (OR = 2.438, CI = 1.418-4.190) as the only parameters independently associated to the number of ULCs. CONCLUSION: ULCs are a simple echographic sign of extravascular lung water, more frequently associated with left ventricular diastolic and/or systolic dysfunction. ULCs can usefully integrate the clinical and pathophysiological information provided by conventional 2D and Doppler echocardiography, in patients with known or suspected heart failure and dyspnoea as a presenting symptom.

Aged↗

Cardiovascular function in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a study using noninvasive methods.

This study used noninvasive methods to assess disturbance in cardiovascular function in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients. Cardiovascular function and the autonomic nervous system of 38 IDDM patients were assessed, and the presence or absence of left ventricular dysfunction was determined. Fifty-six percent of the patients were found to have autonomic neuropathy. Twelve percent had left ventricular diastolic dysfunction; none had left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Heart disease in IDDM patients was found to constitute a separate entity, termed diabetic cardiomyopathy. All IDDM patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction had evidence of autonomic neuropathy. However, there was no correlation with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Also, there was no correlation between left ventricular dysfunction and microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus.

Adolescent↗

Left ventricular changes in isolated office hypertension: a blood pressure-matched comparison with normotension and sustained hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Isolated office (IO) hypertension is a benign condition according to some researchers, whereas others believe it is associated with cardiovascular abnormalities and increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study is to compare morphofunctional characteristics of the left ventricle (LV) in IO hypertensive subjects, normotensive subjects (hereafter, hypertensives and normotensives), and never-treated sustained hypertensives. The 3 groups were matched not only by age, sex, and body mass index but also by clinic blood pressure (BP) (IO hypertensives and sustained hypertensives) and daytime BP (IO hypertensives and normotensives). METHODS: We enrolled 42 IO hypertensives (clinic BP > 140 and/or 90 mm Hg and daytime BP < or = 130/80 mm Hg), 42 sustained hypertensives (clinic BP > 140 and/or 90 mm Hg and daytime BP > or = 140 and/or 90 mm Hg) and 42 normotensives (clinic BP < 135 and/or 85 mm Hg and daytime BP < or = 130/80 mm Hg). Left ventricular morphologic features and function were assessed using digitized M-mode echocardiography. RESULTS: Compared with normotensives, IO hypertensives had significantly thicker LV walls, increased LV mass, reduced diastolic function, increased prevalence of LV hypertrophy, and preclinical diastolic dysfunction. Sustained hypertensives, compared with IO hypertensives, had significantly thicker LV wall, higher LV mass, and lower diastolic function, whereas the prevalence of LV hypertrophy and preclinical diastolic dysfunction was greater than in IO hypertensives, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = .29). CONCLUSIONS: Comparing matched BP groups, IO hypertensives have LV morphofunctional characteristics considerably different from normotensives and qualitatively similar to sustained hypertensives. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis that IO hypertension should not be considered as simply a benign condition.

Adult↗

Left ventricular function in type 2 diabetes patients without cardiac symptoms in Zaria, Nigeria.

Fifty type 2 diabetes patients (25 of them being hypertensive) who had no cardiac symptoms had their left ventricular function assessed. There were 24 female and 26 male diabetes patients evaluated, along with a control group of 50 healthy subjects. The patients and controls underwent full clinical evaluation, which included physical examination, blood biochemistry (urea and electrolyte; creatinine, creatinine clearance; fasting blood and two-hour postprandial glucose levels, lipid profile), electrocardiograph, chest radiograph, and echocardiograph. The hypertensive diabetes patients had higher cholesterol levels, and 50% had levels >5.0 mmol/L. Sixteen patients had cataracts, 14 had background retinopathy, 12 had peripheral neuropathy, and 7 had peripheral vascular disease. The subjects had significantly lower ejection fraction than controls, and fractional shortening showed a similar pattern. Eight patients had ejection fraction <50% compared to none of the controls. Sixty-six percent of the subjects and 30% of the controls had diastolic dysfunction (reverse E/A ratio, prolonged deceleration time, and lower deceleration rate), respectively, but the diabetes patients did not show any difference. Diastolic dysfunction correlated significantly with age, fasting blood glucose, and two-hour postprandial glucose. The subjects had higher left ventricular mass (LVM) than controls. The LVM correlated significantly positively with diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure. Subclinical diabetic cardiomyopathy exists in our patients; in addition, other risk factors for cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease exist, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity.

Adult↗

[Diastolic function modulation by load. Physiological basis and clinical implications].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Diastolic heart failure has emerged over the last decade as a separate clinical entity, but its pathophysiology is still largely unknown. Left ventricular (LV) relaxation is considered an important determinant of early, but not late, LV filling. We recently showed that a substantial afterload elevation induces a marked slowing of relaxation. In this study we investigated the repercussion of such slowing on late LV filling. METHODS: The study was carried out on 7 open-chest, anaesthetised, New Zealand white rabbits, fully instrumented to evaluate cardiac function. The load was manipulated by transient occlusions of the ascending aorta and/or of the inferior vena cava. RESULTS: We observed that the afterload elevations had a biphasic effect on the relaxation rate and diastolic pressure-dimension (P-D) relation: small elevations accelerated relaxation and did not affect the diastolic P-D relation, while greater elevations progressively decreased the relaxation rate and induced a divergent upward shift of the diastolic P-D. The magnitude of this upward shift was related to the relaxation rate and the time available for the ventricle to relax. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Small to moderate afterload elevations are easily compensated by the normal ventricle, while greater elevations induce diastolic dysfunction even in normal hearts, which leads us to the concept of afterload reserve. This concept helps explain why diastolic dysfunction and pulmonary congestion, present in heart failure, may be reverted by decreasing the load (e.g. vasodilators and diuretics).

Animals↗

Doppler evaluation of systolic and diastolic heart failure in patients with cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Analysis of transmitral flow with Doppler echocardiography can currently evaluate left ventricular diastolic function noninvasively and easily. In addition, measurement of pulmonary venous flow and left atrial appendage flow clarifies not only left ventricular diastolic function but also left atrial systolic function in patients with left ventricular systolic failure and diastolic failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Doppler echocardiography was used to investigate the differences in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. In patients with systolic heart failure, left atrial dysfunction due to afterload mismatch to the left ventricle was related to the reduction of transmitral atrial filling wave in a restrictive pattern. In contrast, in patients with diastolic heart failure, transmitral flow seldom indicated a restrictive pattern because left atrial systolic function was preserved even with high pulmonary wedge pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is somewhat distinct between patients with left ventricular systolic failure and patients with left ventricular diastolic failure. Atrial reversal flow in pulmonary vein has the potential to predict left ventricular filling pressure in patients with diastolic failure.

Cardiomyopathies↗

The multifarious spectrum of ischemic left ventricular dysfunction: relevance of new ischemic syndromes.

Ischemic heart disease, once limited to a number of well defined entities such as angina of effort, unstable angina, and myocardial infarction, must now be regarded as a much more complex and elusive entity. Silent ischemia was the first of the new ischemic syndromes to be described. Recently, three further new syndromes have been added, namely stunning, hibernation and preconditioning. All three have one common theme--they can be related to ischemia and reperfusion. In stunning, there is post-reperfusion mechanical dysfunction that recovers. In hibernation, there is prominent contractile dysfunction, apparently out of proportion to the reduction in coronary flow, and the recovery upon reperfusion is good. In preconditioning, severe ischemia followed by reperfusion protects against subsequent ischemia which may modify the severity of ischemic damage in the other ischemic syndromes. Ischemic LV dysfunction as found in post-infarct patients and in the absence of any simple relation to reperfusion, can be either diastolic or systolic or both in nature. In ischemic LV diastolic dysfunction without major systolic dysfunction, calcium antagonists may be appropriate therapy which could point to a role for abnormalities in the regulation of cytosolic calcium. It is proposed that there is potentially a mixed post-infarct syndrome, which may comprise one or more of the new ischemic syndromes (silent ischemia, stunning, hibernation, and preconditioning), as well as a varying degree of systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction. The basis of the systolic dysfunction is, at least in part, post-infarct LV remodeling. Several of these entities could overlap in the same patient. The term "mixed post-infarct ischemic syndrome" is suggested to describe this condition.

Animals↗

Right and left ventricular function after cardiac transplantation. Changes during and after rejection.

BACKGROUND: Attempts to identify noninvasive markers of ventricular dysfunction accompanying acute rejection have been hampered by a lack of detailed simultaneous hemodynamic data. Therefore, we prospectively performed serial monitoring of detailed left and right heart hemodynamic parameters in cardiac transplant recipients at the time of routine endomyocardial biopsy to better define the physiology of the allograft heart during and after acute rejection. METHODS AND RESULTS: To better assess the pathophysiology of the rejection process, 18 cardiac transplant patients were prospectively studied by serial right heart micromanometer catheterization and digital image processing at the time of routine endomyocardial biopsy. Eleven patients had 18 episodes of rejection. Studies of baseline (negative biopsy preceding rejection), rejection (acute moderate rejection), and resolved (first negative biopsy after rejection) states were compared. Seven patients who did not experience an episode of rejection served as the control group. Right ventricular minimum and end-diastolic pressures increased from baseline values of 0.9 +/- 3.2 and 6.9 +/- 3.7 mm Hg, respectively, to 3.2 +/- 5.5 and 9.9 +/- 6.6 mm Hg, respectively, with rejection (both variables, p less than 0.05) and remained elevated despite histological resolution of rejection (4.3 +/- 5.5 and 10.0 +/- 7.1 mm Hg, respectively; p less than 0.05 for both variables compared with baseline values). Concurrently, right ventricular end-diastolic volumes (133 +/- 29, 119 +/- 27, and 114 +/- 30 ml; baseline, rejection, and resolved, respectively) and left ventricular end-diastolic volumes (133 +/- 24, 117 +/- 20, and 113 +/- 30 ml; baseline, rejection, and resolved, respectively) significantly decreased during rejection and remained decreased after resolution of rejection (rejection and resolved compared with baseline values, p less than 0.05). Right ventricular chamber stiffness (0.055 +/- 0.035, 0.085 +/- 0.057, and 0.092 +/- 0.076 mm Hg/ml; baseline, rejection, and resolution, respectively; rejection and resolved compared with baseline values, p less than 0.05) increased with rejection and remained elevated after resolution of rejection. Right ventricular peak filling rate also increased from a baseline value of 2.48 +/- 0.45 to 2.76 +/- 0.63 ml end-diastolic volumes per second with rejection (p less than 0.05). Elevation of right ventricular filling pressures, peak filling rate, and chamber stiffness with a concomitant decrease in end-diastolic volume is consistent with a restrictive/constrictive physiology. Mean arterial blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance were elevated after the resolution of rejection (compared with either rejection or baseline values, p less than 0.05) associated with a higher mean daily dose of prednisone (resolved compared with either baseline or rejection values, p less than 0.05). The control group experienced a time-dependent increase in mean and diastolic systemic arterial pressures (both comparisons, p less than 0.05) without detectable diastolic dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Persistence of biventricular diastolic dysfunction may be due to an irreversible effect of rejection, although multifactorial changes in left ventricular afterload occur that may complicate serial assessment of ventricular function.

Adult↗

Transforming growth factor beta and myocardial dysfunction following heart transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a fibrogenic cytokine, in the development of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction following heart transplantation. METHODS: We studied 152 heart transplant recipients who had survived for at least 24 months. We compared histopathological findings (staining of endomyocardial biopsy specimens using Hematoxylin Eosin and polyclonal antibodies), left ventricular function (Doppler echocardiography) and clinical course (NYHA status). Patients are classified into group A (n=56 recipients) with immunohistochemical TGF-beta staining score >7 and group B (n=96 recipients) with a staining score <7. RESULTS: Doppler echocardiographic evaluation demonstrated greater impairment of left ventricular diastolic function in recipients with higher TGF-beta staining score. The average mitral deceleration time was 129+/-6 ms for recipients group A compared to 167+/-15 ms in group B. While the mean isovolumic relaxation time was 65+/-8 ms for patients in group A compared with 82+/-6 ms for recipients in group B (P=0.0004 and 0.005, respectively). Immunohistochemical scoring correlated inversely with both mitral deceleration and isovolumic relaxation times (r=-0.74, P=0.0004 and r=-0.66, P=0.004, respectively). Mean NYHA status was 2.7+/-1.3 for group A compared to 1.17+/-0.4 in group B was (P=0.002). Five years follow-up revealed persistent left ventricular diastolic impairment for recipients with higher immunohistochemical staining score. Mitral deceleration time and isovolumic relaxation time were 118+/-11 and 62+/-7 ms for group A compared to 156+/-12 and 80+/-5 ms for group B, P=0.006 and P=0.01, respectively. The actuarial development of subsequent coronary artery disease (> 50% stenosis) was 17 and 29% for recipients in group A compared to 4 and 6% for recipients in group B at 3 and 5 years follow-up, respectively (P=0.01 and P=0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: TGF-beta expression in cardiac allografts is associated with impaired graft function and limited survival. The pathogenesis of diastolic dysfunction may be an aberrant repair process following rejection due to increased TGF-beta expression in transplant recipients.

Biopsy↗

Short- and long-term effects of nisoldipine on cardiac function and exercise tolerance in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

UNLABELLED: Nisoldipine is a second generation dihydropyridine calcium antagonist having characteristics of strong coronary artery dilating effect and less negative inotropic action. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of nisoldipine on the cardiac function (systolic and diastolic) and the exercise tolerance, in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). SUBJECTS: Twenty-three patients with HCM were studied. METHODS: We measured the following indices using M-mode and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography before and after nisoldipine therapy; left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), isometric relaxation time (IRT), deceleration half-time (DHT) of early diastolic mitral (E) flow, late diastolic mitral (A) flow and A/E ratio. Symptom-limited treadmill exercise test was performed. Exercise tolerance (EX) time was measured. Nisoldipine of 10 mg/day was orally administered. Same tests were repeated on day 14 and after 6 months. RESULTS: 1) Short-term effects; LVFS did not change (55.9 +/- 5.9%-->57.0 +/- 7.4%, NS) after 2 weeks. However, LV diastolic function significantly improved (IRT; 92.1 +/- 7.7 ms-->85.2 +/- 11.6 ms, p < 0.05, DHT; 70.7 +/- 16.2 ms-->63.3 +/- 3.7 ms, p < 0.05). EX time increased (8.9 +/- 2.6 min-->10.0 +/- 3.3 min, p < 0.05), 2) Long-term effects; LV diastolic function had a tendency toward improvement, but is statistically not significant (IRT; 91.1 +/- 7.6-->83.8 +/- 11.6 ms, DHT; 73.1 +/- 23.4-->61.0 +/- 11.4 ms, A/E; 1.26 +/- 0.29-->1.11 +/- 0.36) after 6 months. EX time was significantly increased (9.4 +/- 1.7--> 10.1 +/- 1.7 min, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nisoldipine improved LV diastolic dysfunction and exercise tolerance in patients with HCM. These effects were similar to the first generation calcium antagonists. LV diastolic dysfunction may be improved due to the reduction of intracellular calcium concentration and the relief of myocardial ischemia by strong coronary artery dilating effect. However, nisoldipine did not affect the LV systolic function because of its less negative inotropic effect.

Adult↗

Diastolic ventricular dysfunction in noncomplicated acute myocardial infarction: the influence of gallopamil.

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of gallopamil on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function early after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Gallopamil was compared with placebo and atenolol in two different groups of patients. Study patients, 2 days after experiencing their first AMI, in Killip class I and stable sinus rhythm, were randomized in a crossover, double-blind sequence to receive (a) gallopamil (50 micrograms/kg over 5 min) or placebo (i.v. 10-ml bolus, with a time interval of 90 min); and (b) gallopamil (50 micrograms/kg over 5 min) or atenolol (5 mg over 5 min), with a time interval of 24 h. Group I and group II consisted of 28 patients (26 men and 2 women; mean age 55 +/- 9 years) and of 14 patients (13 men and 1 woman; mean age 56 +/- 10 years), respectively. All the patients were treated with thrombolysis within 6 h from the onset of symptoms. Doppler echocardiographic examinations were performed as follows: at baseline (B) and 15 min after administration of gallopamil bolus and placebo bolus, in group I; at baseline before gallopamil (BG) and atenolol (BA), and 15 min after each bolus in group II. The following echo-Doppler parameters were calculated, at each examination: the early and late transmitral peak velocity ratio (E/A), the early and late velocity integral ratio (Ei/Ai), the peak filling rate normalized to mitral stroke volume (nMPFR), and the LV isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), which was normalized to an 800-ms R-R cycle length in the patients in group II. Mean blood pressure (MBP) and heart rate (HR) were also measured.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗