ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the feasibility of a new ultrasonic parameter to assess right ventricular-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed in 140 patients with APE diagnosed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from August 2017 to June 2020. According to the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) ratio cutoff value 0.40 mm/mmHg reported by the European Society of Cardiology in 2020, the patients were divided into the coupling group ( n=99) and the uncoupling group ( n=41). The conventional ultrasonic parameters of the 2 groups were measured, and then several ultrasonic parameter ratios were obtained. The new ultrasonic parameter, which can replace the TAPSE/PASP ratio, was screened out by Spearman correlation analysis, and ROC curve was plotted to calculate the diagnostic efficacy of this parameter. Results:①Compared with the coupling group, patients in the uncoupling group were older and more likely to be accompanied by dyspnea and venous thrombosis in the lower extremities (all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in other general data(all P>0.05); ②Compared with the coupling group, tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV), tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient(TRPG), PASP, right ventricle end-diastolic transverse diameter(RVTD), inferior vena cava(IVC) diameter and the ratio of early diastolic tricuspid inflow to tricuspid lateral annular velocity(E/e′), in the uncoupling group increased significantly (all P<0.05), and TAPSE, peak systolic velocity of tricuspid annulus(s′), TAPSE/PASP ratio, TAPSE/TRPG ratio, TAPSE/RVTD ratio and s′/TRPG ratio decreased significantly (all P<0.05); ③The TAPSE/TRPG ratio was highly correlated with TAPSE/PASP ratio ( rs=0.970, P<0.001); The TAPSE/TRPG ratio was still highly correlated with TAPSE/PASP ratio in the uncoupling and coupling groups ( rs=0.966, 0.922; all P<0.001). ④ROC analysis showed that the area under curve for TAPSE/TRPG in diagnosing RV-PA coupling was 0.992. At the cutoff of TAPSE/TRPG <0.625 mm/mmHg for indicating RV-PA coupling, the sensitivity and specificity were 97.6% and 92.9%, respectively. Conclusions:TAPSE/TRPG ratio can be used as a new ultrasonic parameter to reflect RV-PA coupling, which is helpful for clinical identification of APE patients with high risk and poor prognosis.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the mechanism of right ventricular pulmonary artery coupling by fitting the pressure volume loop of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients and calculating the related parameters.Methods During January of 2015 to December of 2015,34 patients with pulmonary hypertension and 5 patients with patent oval foramen(PFO)were admitted in Wuhan Asian Heart Hospital,. Inclusion criteria for the pulmonary hypertension group were in accordance with the newest European guidelines for pulmonary hypertension . All of the patients were conducted invasive pressure catheter intervention and MRI. All the pressure data were digitized by GetData software and the CMR tools3D was used to derive right ventricular volume data, fitting the pressure volume loop and calculate the Pmax, Ees, Ea and other related parameters. 5 patients with PFO and 34 patients with pulmonary hypertension were divided into three groupswhich included:the control group (i.e. the patients with PFO), patients with pulmonary artery mean pressure less than 50 mmHg as group A and pulmonary artery mean pressure greater than or equal to 50 mmHg as group B. The pressure volume loop of the three groups were compared and the related parameters were calculated.Results The right ventricular Pmax were(53.05±12.87) mmHg, (134.73±26.38) mmHg, (207.88±65.67) mmHg, in the control group, group A and B respectively. There were significant differences when compared among the 3 groups. There was no statistical difference in Ees between the control group and group A(P>0.05). The Ees of group B was significantly higher than the control group[(1.53±0.97)vs.(0.60±0.28),P<0.05]. The Ea of group B was higher than the control[(1.34±0.74) vs.(0.39±0.15),P<0.05]. The overall ratio of Ees/Ea was lower in group B as compared to the control group [(1.12±0.47)vs.(1.62±0.51),P<0.05].Conclusions In the early stage of pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular contractility preserves and can overcome the slightly elevated afterload .The right ventricle and pulmonary artery coupled with good work. With the increasing mean pulmonary artery,the afterload of right ventricular increases and right ventricular contractility needs further increase to fight against the elevated afterload. The elevation of contractility cannot overcome the change of afterload, resulting in the off paired of mechanical efflciency, causing the right ventricle- pulmonary artery coupling decreases.