Prognostic value and predictors of the alteration of the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by heterogeneous manifestations and severity, with frequent lung involvement. Among pulmonary function tests (PFT), the measure of the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is a noninvasive and sensitive tool assessing pulmonary microcirculation. Asymptomatic and isolated DLCO alteration has been frequently reported in SLE, but its clinical relevance has not been established. METHODS: This retrospective study focused on 232 SLE patients fulfilling the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria for SLE. Data were collected from the patient's medical record, including demographic, clinical, and immunological characteristics while DLCO was measured when performing PFT as part of routine patient follow-up. RESULTS: At the end of follow-up, DLCO alteration (<70% of predicted value) was measured at least once in 154 patients (66.4%), and was associated with a history of smoking as well as interstitial lung disease (ILD), but was also associated with renal and neurological involvement. History of smoking, detection of anti-nucleosome autoantibodies and clinical lymphadenopathy at diagnosis were independent predictors of DLCO alteration, while early cutaneous involvement with photosensitivity was a protective factor. DLCO alteration, at baseline or anytime during follow-up was predictive of admission in intensive care unit and/or of all-cause death, both mainly due to severe disease flares and premature cardiovascular complications. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a link between DLCO alteration and disease damage, potentially related to SLE vasculopathy, and prognostic value of DLCO on death or ICU admission in SLE.

Phenomapping Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Using Machine Learning Cluster Analysis: Prognostic and Therapeutic Implications.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is characterized by a high rate of hospitalization and mortality (up to 84% at 5 years), which are similar to those observed for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). These epidemiologic data claim for the development of specific and innovative therapies to reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. Compared with HFrEF, which is due to a primary myocardial damage (eg ischemia, cardiomyopathies, toxicity), a heterogeneous etiologic background characterizes HFpEF. The authors discuss these phenotypes and specificities for defining therapeutic strategies that could be proposed according to phenotypes.

Heterogeneity of right ventricular echocardiographic parameters in systemic lupus erythematosus among four clinical subgroups, as stratified by clinical organ involvement in observational cohort.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease. Cardiac involvement in SLE is rare but plays an important prognostic role. The degree of cardiac involvement according to SLE subsets defined by non-cardiac manifestations is unknown. The objective of this study was to identify differences in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) parameters associated with different SLE subgroups. METHODS: One hundred eighty-one patients who fulfilled the 2019 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR classification criteria for SLE and underwent baseline TTE were included in this cross-sectional study. We defined four subsets of SLE based on the predominant clinical manifestations. A multivariate multinomial regression analysis was performed to determine whether TTE parameters differed between groups. RESULTS: Four clinical subsets were defined according to non-cardiac clinical manifestations: group A (n=37 patients) showed features of mixed connective tissue disease, group B (n=76 patients) had primarily cutaneous involvement, group C (n=18) exhibited prominent serositis and group D (n=50) had severe, multi-organ involvement, including notable renal disease. Forty TTE parameters were assessed between groups. Per multivariate multinomial regression analysis, there were statistically significant differences in early diastolic tricuspid annular velocity (RV-Ea, p<0.0001), RV S' wave (p=0.0031) and RV end-diastolic diameter (p=0.0419) between the groups. Group B (primarily cutaneous involvement) had the lowest degree of RV dysfunction. CONCLUSION: When defining clinical phenotypes of SLE based on organ involvement, we found four distinct subgroups which showed notable differences in RV function on TTE. Risk-stratifying patients by clinical phenotype could help better tailor cardiac follow-up in this population.

Right Ventricular Free Wall Strain Predicts ATTR Prognosis as Well as Biomarker- Based Staging Systems.

AIMS: The diagnosis of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) significantly impacts the management and prognosis of patients initially presenting with heart failure (HF). Despite recent advances in treatment, prognosticating ATTR remains challenging. We aimed to assess echocardiographic parameters associated with mid-term prognosis in patients with wild-type ATTR using a biomarker staging system as a reference point. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 182 consecutive patients with wild-type ATTR (91% male, median age 82 years) who were referred to our center between 2016 and 2022. Using NT- proBNP and eGFR cutoffs, we divided patients into stage I (101 patients, 55.5%), stage II (53, 29.0%), and stage III disease (28, 15.5%). We then compared traditional echocardiographic indices and markers of subclinical ventricular dysfunction (LV global longitudinal strain, RV free wall strain, and LA strain) among groups. Over a fixed follow-up of 18 months, which included treatment with tafamidis 61 mg daily, 48 patients (26.4%) experienced the composite outcome of death or HF hospitalization. When compared with stage I ATTR, the hazard ratio for death or hospitalization was 1.55 (95% CI 0.62-3.86) for stage II ATTR and 4.53 (95% CI 1.66-12.4, p = 0.0116) for stage III ATTR. Among echocardiographic parameters, reduced RV FWS was independently associated with all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization after adjustment for the staging system (HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.07-3.85, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: RV FWS should be routinely assessed for all patients with ATTR. It is an independent predictor of poor prognosis and provides additional value beyond biomarker staging systems.

Unmet needs and knowledge gaps in aortic stenosis: A position paper from the Heart Valve Council of the French Society of Cardiology.

Nowadays, valvular heart disease remains a significant challenge among cardiovascular diseases, affecting millions of people worldwide and exerting substantial pressure on healthcare systems. Within the spectrum of valvular heart disease, aortic stenosis is the most common valvular lesion in developed countries. Despite notable advances in understanding its pathophysiological processes, improved cardiovascular imaging techniques and expanding therapeutic options in recent years, there are still unmet needs and knowledge gaps regarding aortic stenosis pathophysiology, severity assessment, management and decision-making strategy. This review, prepared on behalf of the Heart Valve Council of the French Society of Cardiology, describes these gaps and future research perspectives to improve the outcome of patients with aortic stenosis.

Multimodality imaging in marantic endocarditis associated with cancer: a multicentric cohort study.

AIMS: We aimed to assess the role of multimodality imaging (MMI) in the diagnosis of marantic endocarditis (ME) associated with cancers and to describe the clinical characteristics, management, and outcome of these patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a retrospective multicentric study including four tertiary centres for the treatment of endocarditis in France and Belgium, patients with a diagnosis of ME were included. Demographic, MMI [echocardiography, computed tomography (CT), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT)], and management data were collected. Long-term mortality was analysed. Between November 2011 and August 2021, 47 patients with a diagnosis of ME were included. Mean age was 65 ± 11 years. ME occurred in 43 cases (91%) on native valves. Vegetations were detected by echocardiography in all cases and in 12 cases (26%) by CT. No patient had an increased cardiac 18F-FDG valve uptake. The most common cardiac valve involved was aortic (34 cases, 73%). Twenty-two patients (46%) had a known cancer before ME, and 25 cases (54%) were diagnosed thanks to multimodality imaging. 18FDG PET/CT was performed in 30 patients (64%) and allowed a new diagnosis of cancer in 14 patients (30%). Systemic embolism was frequent (40 patients, 85% of cases). Forty-one patients (87%) were treated medically with anticoagulation therapy. One-year mortality was 55% (26 patients). CONCLUSION: ME remains associated with a high risk of complications and death.