The relationship between three-dimensional right ventricular longitudinal deformation and myocardial fibrosis in patients with end-stage heart failure / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the values of right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS) by three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) in predicting the degree of RV myocardial fibrosis (MF) in patients with end-stage heart failure (HF).Methods:A total of 102 consecutive patients with end-stage HF undergoing heart transplantation were enrolled in the Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June 2018 to December 2019. Echocardiographic examinations were performed in these patients before heart transplantation. The conventional RV function parameters were obtained, including fractional area change, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion(TAPSE), myocardial performance index, tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity(Tricuspid s′). Two-dimensional (2D) RVFWLS was calculated by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). Right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), RV end-systolic volume (RVESV), RV stroke volume (RVSV), RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and 3D-RVFWLS were measured by 3D-STE. The degree of MF was quantified using Masson′s trichrome stain in RV myocardial samples after heart transplantation. Patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe groups according to the degree of MF on histology, then echocardiographic parameters were compared among the 3 groups. Pearson correlation analysis and the multiple linear regression analysis between echocardiographic parameters and RV MF were analyzed.Results:Compared with patients with mild and moderate MF, 3D-RVFWLS, 2D-RVFWLS and conventional parameters of RV function were significantly decreased in patients with severe MF.RV MF strongly correlated with 3D-RVFWLS ( r=-0.71, P<0.01), modestly correlated with 2D-RVFWLS ( r=-0.53, P<0.01), and weakly correlated with RVFAC, TAPSE, RVEF, Tricuspid s′, RVSV ( r=-0.47, -0.44, -0.35, -0.29, -0.38; all P<0.01). 3D-RVFWLS correlated best with the degree of MF compared with 2D-RVFWLS and conventional RV function parameters ( r=-0.71 vs r=-0.29~-0.53, all P<0.05). A stepwise multivariate analysis showed that 3D-RVFWLS was independently associated with RV MF (β=1.554, P<0.01, adjusted R2=0.539). Conclusions:3D-RVFWLS can provide an important imaging reference for detecting the degree of RV MF in patients with end-stage HF.