Transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of proximal ascending aorta elasticity in familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia patients.

BACKGROUND: Decreased elasticity of the aorta is associated with aging and several risk factors of atherosclerosis. The data regarding this phenomenon in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia are rather sparse. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate non-invasively the elasticity of the proximal ascending aorta of 51 heterozygous FH patients compared to 42 normal age and gender-matched controls. METHODS: Aortic elasticity was estimated by transthoracic echocardiography using the "pressure-strain" elastic modulus and aortic strain formulas. RESULTS: The elastic modulus score was higher in the FH group than in the controls (1.12 +/- 0.91 10(6) dynes/cm2 vs. 0.65 +/- 0.46 10(6) dynes/cm2 respectively, P = 0.01). This was consistent in both the pediatric (0.5 +/- 0.2 10(6) dynes/cm2 vs. 0.4 +/- 0.1 10(6) dynes/cm2 respectively, P = 0.009) and adult subgroups (1.3 +/- 1.0 10(6) dynes/cm2 vs. 0.8 +/- 0.5 10(6) dynes/cm2 respectively, P = 0.0004). Aortic strain was significantly lower in patients with FH than in controls (6 +/- 4% vs. 9 +/- 5% respectively, P = 0.0002). These findings reflected decreased elasticity of the proximal ascending aorta in the FH patients. In multivariate analysis, age, serum cholesterol level and serum triglycerides level were the independent predictors of the elastic modulus score, whereas age was the predictor of aortic strain. CONCLUSIONS: The elasticity of the proximal ascending aorta is decreased in heterozygous FH patients.

Repeated low-dose of erythropoietin is associated with improved left ventricular function in rat acute myocardial infarction model.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential protective affects of Epo on left ventricular (LV) function and remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Epo was injected into the peritoneum of male Wistar rats (250 g) during 6 weeks post induction of MI. Rats were divided into five groups: MI treated with single high dose (MT1, 5,000 U/kg, n=10), single high dose (5,000 U/kg) and repeated high doses (MTHi, 1,000 U/kg twice a week; n=8), or single high dose (5,000 U/kg) and repeated low doses (MTLo, 750 U/kg once a week, n=10), MI non-treated (MNT, n=10), sham (S, n=5). Echocardiography was performed 3.6+/-1.5 days and 43.7+/-2.3 days post MI. Collagen deposition and infarct size were measured on histological sections using computerized image analysis. Apoptosis was assessed by ApopTag staining. RESULTS: Baseline fractional shortening (FS) was similar between groups. Six weeks after MI the FS of MTLo (26.9%) was significantly higher compared to MNT (17.8%), MT1 (19.5%) and MTH (22.3%) (p=0.01). However, remodeling indices (end diastolic and end systolic areas, LV circumference) did not improve in the Epo groups, and even worsened in the MTHi group. There was significantly less collagen staining in non-infarct areas in MT1 and MTHi groups compared to MNT and MTLo (0.38+/-0.3%, 0.49+/-0.34%, vs 0.89+/-0.41%, 0.95+/-0.33%, respectively, p<0.001). The number of ApopTag positive nucleus was significantly higher in the MNT group compared to the MT1, MTHi, MTLo groups (14.4+/-8, 7.6+/-4, 5.8+/-7, 4.8+/-5, respectively, p=0.01 for trend). CONCLUSION: Repeated low doses of Epo after MI improved LV function, but the role of Epo on remodeling is not clear. It did not reduce left ventricular indices, but reduces fibrosis and apoptosis. High Epo doses reduced LV function and aggravated remodeling.

Tissue Doppler imaging in patients with advanced heart failure: relation to functional class and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) provides rapid assessment of systolic and diastolic myocardial function. However, the added value of TDI to standard Doppler echocardiographic measurements in predicting symptoms and outcome of advanced heart failure remains unknown. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 45 patients with congestive heart failure, defined as New York Heart Association functional class III and IV, who were referred to our department for evaluation for heart transplantation. Twenty healthy subjects were the controls. Conventional echo Doppler was used to assess left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, peak velocities of transmitral early and late diastolic LV filling, the ratio of transmitral early to late LV filling velocity, and E-deceleration time. TDI measurements recorded at the mitral annulus included systolic velocity, early and late diastolic velocities, and the ratio of early to late diastolic velocity. The ratio of transmitral early LV filling velocity to early diastolic TDI velocity of the mitral annulus (E/E') was calculated. All patients were followed for cardiac-related death and hospitalization for heart failure. RESULTS: Patients with functional class IV had a significantly higher E/E' ratio than did patients with functional class III (12.9 +/- 2.8 vs 8.3 +/- 1.7, p < 0.001) and the controls (5.4 +/- 1.3, p < 0.001). Except for transmitral late filling velocity, all conventional echo Doppler parameters and TDI variables significantly correlated with functional class. On multivariate stepwise analysis, however, the E/E' ratio was the only independent predictor of functional class (p = 0.003). E/E' also correlated with cardiac mortality and hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Conventional Doppler indices and TDI parameters correlated with functional class in patients with advanced heart failure. The E/E' ratio, which probably reflects high LV end-diastolic pressure, was the best measure for differentiating patients with functional class III and IV, and it also correlated with cardiac mortality and hospitalization for worsening heart failure, thereby providing additional value to standard echocardiographic measures.