ST2 predicts survival in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) serum concentrations and predict mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 74 patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) who underwent TAVI and matched them to patients without aortic valve disease (n=74). AS patients underwent comprehensive echocardiographic and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and laboratory examinations. sST2 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), their association with post procedural mortality was investigated using logistic and Cox regression analyses, and the prognostic performance compared to established risk scores. RESULTS: AS patients had substantially higher sST2 levels than controls (39.5 vs. 17.8ng/mL, p<0.001). sST2 significantly correlated with left and right atrial sizes (r=0.25, p=0.033 and r=0.38, p=0.001). At one and two years, 10 (13.9%) and 18 (25%) patients had died, respectively. sST2 significantly predicted survival in uni- and multivariate Cox regression analyses in our cohort (p=0.005 and p=0.025). sST2 also predicted major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, p=0.046). Adding sST2 to the established STS score improved prediction of two-year mortality in our cohort (ΔAUC=0.108; 95% CI -0.066-0.281; continuous NRI=0.778; 95% CI: 0.277-1.278 and IDI=0.141; 95% CI: 0.031-0.251), and a model containing both sST2 and the STS score had a negative predictive value of 96.1% and 86.3% regarding one and two-year mortality, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: sST2 is elevated in AS patients and a prognostic marker of survival after TAVI. Implementation of this marker in routine pre-TAVI workup may improve risk prediction and patient selection.

Normal diastolic and systolic myocardial T1 values at 1.5-T MR imaging: correlations and blood normalization.

PURPOSE: To introduce blood normalization for myocardial T1 values at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to evaluate regional differences between systolic and diastolic myocardial T1 values in healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study (ClinicalTrials.gov identification number, NCT01728597) was approved by the institutional review board, and volunteer informed consent was obtained. Forty healthy subjects (20 women; age range, 20-35 years) underwent electrocardiographically gated 1.5-T MR imaging. A modified Look-Locker inversion recovery sequence was used to acquire myocardial T1 maps in systole and diastole. Regional T1 values were evaluated in 16 myocardial segments; blood T1 was derived from the blood pool in the center of the left ventricular cavity. Linear regression slopes between myocardial and blood T1 values were used to normalize myocardial T1 to the mean blood T1 of the study population. Mean T1 values were compared by using the t test, with P < .05 considered to indicate a significant difference. RESULTS: Mean myocardial T1 (984 msec ± 28 [standard deviation] in diastole, 959 msec ± 21 in systole) and all segmental T1 values between diastole and systole differed significantly (P < .001). Blood T1 correlated well with segmental myocardial T1 (R = 0.73 for diastole, R = 0.72 for systole). After normalization to blood T1, significant sex differences in myocardial T1 disappeared and variances in mean myocardial T1 decreased. Blood-normalized diastolic and systolic myocardial T1 values correlated strongly with each other on segmental (r = 0.72) and global (r = 0.89) levels. Subregional myocardial T1 distribution characteristics in diastole were similar to those in systole. CONCLUSION: In normal myocardium, diastolic and systolic myocardial T1 values differ significantly but correlate strongly. Blood normalization eliminates sex differences in myocardial T1 values and reduces their variability.

Characterization of a calcified intra-cardiac pseudocyst of the mitral valve by magnetic resonance imaging including T1 and T2 mapping.

BACKGROUND: Even though intra-cardiac cystic lesions are extremely unusual in adults, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with valvular masses. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has emerged as modality of choice for non-invasive characterization of cardiac masses. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of an intra-cardiac mass of the mitral valve in a 51-year old male, detected by echocardiography after transient ischemic attack and retinal artery occlusion. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging was performed at 3 T to evaluate and characterize the lesion prior to surgery. Diagnosis of a calcified left-ventricular pseudocyst of the mitral valve was confirmed by histological evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: This case presents the unusual finding of contrast uptake in an intra-cardiac cystic lesion and points to the potential of T1 and T2 mapping for assisting in the characterization and diagnosis of intra-cardiac masses by CMR.