Lupus cardiomyopathy: cardiac mechanics, hemodynamics, and coronary blood flow in uncomplicated systemic lupus erythematosus.

Right and left heart pressures, left ventricular volumes, indices of contractility, myocardial wall stiffness, and coronary blood flow were determined in five young women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during diagnostic right and left heart catheterization. Examinations revealed (1) increases of right and left ventricular enddiastolic pressures; (2) decreases of cardiac output, stroke volume, ejection fraction, contractility indices, diastolic left ventricular volume inflow; (3) decreases of pharmacologically induced coronary vasodilation in SLE. The results demonstrate impaired pump function, reduced contractility, increased myocardial wall stiffness, and decreased coronary vascular reserve in SLE. It is concluded that lupus cardiomyopathy associated with an impairment of left ventricular function may be apparent in young women with SLE who have no clinical signs of cardiac dysfunction.

[Cardiomyopathy in uncomplicated systemic lupus erythematosus (author's transl)]. / Lupus-Kardiomyopathie bei unkompliziertem Lupus erythematodes disseminatus

Haemodynamic functions, myocardial contractility, and coronary blood flow were measured in five young women with systemic lupus erythematosus. There had been no signs of cardiac involvement. Left and right heart catherterisation excluded abnormal pressure gradients and valvar regurgitation. But left ventricular end-diastolic pressures were considerably raised while cardiac output, stroke volume, ejection fraction, and left ventricular compliance were decreased. Isovolumic indices of myocardial contractility were altered, corresponding to a decreased contractile state of the myocardium. Coronary blood flow was moderately increased at rest, but pharmacologically induced coronary vascular reserve was markedly reduced. It is concluded that in young women with this disease there may be, in the absence of clinical signs of cardiac involvement, haemodynamic abnormalities which must be ascribed to the consequences of a lupus cardiomyopathy.

The effect of an immunosuppressive drug (azathioprine) on the latent infection of marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) with the oncogenic Herpesvirus saimiri.

Callithrix jacchus (CJ) marmoset monkeys can be latently infected with Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS). In order to determine whether this resistance to the oncogenic potential of HVS could be due to the immune surveillance, azathioprine, a known immunosuppressive drug, was given to 7 latently infected CJ marmosets. The animals died within 147 days probably from side effect caused by azathioprine, but no animal developed a tumor.