Subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in men under androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, revealed by speckle-tracking-derived parameters, repolarization, and myocardial injury markers.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze global left ventricular longitudinal strain (GLS), mechanical dispersion (MD), electrocardiographic repolarization, and myocardial injury markers changes during androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and subsequent hypogonadism in men with advanced prostate cancer. METHODS: We included 31 patients 69.7 ± 7.3 years old, in sinus rhythm, with stable cardiac conditions and evaluated them by echocardiography, electrocardiography, and blood sampling for high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), at ADT initiation (M0) and after 6 months of treatment (M1). Peak longitudinal strain by speckle-tracking echocardiography was assessed in 17 left ventricular segments and averaged to GLS. Standard deviation of time intervals from the start of Q/R on electrocardiogram to peak longitudinal strain in the 17 segments (MDSD ), and the difference between the longest and shortest time-to-peak strain intervals (MDdelta ) were calculated as indices of MD. Fridericia corrected electrocardiographic repolarization parameters were analyzed as follows: QT interval (QTc), mean and maximum values of Tpeak-Tend interval (Tpe), and Tpe/QT ratio, Tpe dispersion (Tped). RESULTS: Significant impairments of the following parameters were registered between M0 and M1: GLS (%) (-16.93 ± 3.89; -14.43 ± 3.57, P < .001), MDSD (ms) (77.4 ± 21.4; 89 ± 27, P = .004), MDdelta (ms) (225.3 ± 78.3; 259.9 ± 108.4, P = .02), QTc (ms) (458.8 ± 43.4; 485.6 ± 45.1, P = .01), maxTpe/QT (0.246 ± 0.04; 0.268 ± 0.04, P = .01), maxTpe (ms) (105.4 ± 23.2; 119.5 ± 26.4 P = .01), meanTpe (ms) (83.3 ± 16.8; 90.7 ± 19.3, P = .02), and hs-cTnI (ng/mL) (4.6 ± 5.4; 5.4 ± 6.4, P = .01). Mean serum testosterone level at M1 was 0.1 ± 0.13 ng/mL. The patients' clinical cardiological status remained stable during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: ADT and subsequent hypogonadism induce subclinical alterations in GLS, MD, electrocardiographic repolarization parameters, and hs-cTnI during the first 6 months of treatment.

Particular etiology in a case of peripheral tetraparesis.

Lead intoxication is a rare but potentially fatal disease without appropriate intervention. The diagnosis is often difficult because of various organs involvement. We report the case of nonprofessional lead intoxication manifested by tetraparesis, severe anemia, and hemolysis in a patient having also unknown beta thalassemia minor.

Electrocardiographic measures of repolarization dispersion and their relationships with echocardiographic indices of ventricular remodeling and premature ventricular beats in hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between Tpeak- Tend interval (Tpe) and Tpe/QT ratio with occurrence of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) and left ventricular remodeling in hypertension. METHODS: A total of 52 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were included, undergoing echocardiography and 24-hours Holter monitoring. Ventricular remodeling was assessed by left ventricular mass index (LVMI) using the Devereux formula and diastolic function by transmitral E and A wave velocities and E/A ratio. Tpe was measured in the precordial leads. The end of the T wave was set by the method of the tangent to the steepest descending slope of the T wave. RESULTS: Tpe and Tpe/QT in leads V2 (r = 0.33, P = 0.01; r = 0.27, P = 0.04 respectively) and V3 (r = 0.40, P = 0.002; r = 0.40, P = 0.003, respectively) correlated significantly with LVMI. A significant inverse relationship was observed between E/A ratio and QT (r = -0.33, P = 0.01), Tpe in V3 (r = -0.39, P = 0.003) and Tpe/QT in V3 (r = -0.31, P = 0.02). Tpe in V3, V5, mean Tpe and maximum Tpe with cut-off values of 60 ms, 59 ms, 62 ms and 71 ms, respectively, associated with the occurrence of ventricular premature beats. CONCLUSIONS: The repolarization parameters Tpe interval and Tpe/QT ratio correlate with LVMI and indices of left ventricular diastolic function and show better predictive values than traditional parameters such as QT interval and QT dispersion. Lead V3 is the best lead for measuring Tpe and Tpe/QT. These ECG indices can therefore be used in clinical practice to monitor LV remodeling and predict occurrence of VPBs.