Change and impact of left ventricular global longitudinal strain during transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

BACKGROUND: Although transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a safe and effective treatment for aortic stenosis, it still carries some risks, such as valve leaks, stroke, and even death. The left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) measurement may be useful for the prediction of adverse events during this operation. AIM: To explore the change of LVGLS during TAVI procedure and the relationship between LVGLS and perioperative adverse events. METHODS: In this study, 61 patients who had undergone percutaneous transfemoral TAVI were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. Before surgery, data on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and LVGLS were collected separately following balloon expansion and stent implantation. Difference in values of LVGLS and LVEF during preoperative balloon expansion (pre-ex), preoperative stent implantation (pre-im) and balloon expansion-stent implantation (ex-im) were also examined. Adverse events were defined as perioperative death, cardiac rupture, heart arrest, moderate or severe perivalvular leakage, significant mitral regurgitation during TAVI, perioperative moderate or severe mitral regurgitation, perioperative left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, reoperation, and acute heart failure. RESULTS: The occurrence of perioperative adverse events was associated with differences in pre-ex LVGLS, but not with difference in pre-ex LVEF. There were significant differences between pre-LVGLS and ex-LVGLS, and between pre-LVGLS and im-LVGLS (P = 0.037 and P = 0.020, respectively). However, differences in LVEF were not significant (P = 0.358, P = 0.254); however differences in pre-ex LVGLS were associated with pre-LVGLS (P = 0.045). Compared to LVEF, LVGLS is more sensitive as a measure of left heart function during TAVI and the perioperative period. Moreover, the differences in LVGLS were associated with the occurrence of perioperative adverse events, and changes in LVGLS were apparent in patients with undesirable LVGLS before the surgery. Furthermore, LVGLS is useful to predict changes in cardiac function during TAVI. CONCLUSION: Greater attention should be paid to the patients who plan to undergo TAVI with normal LVEF but poor LVGLS.

Micro-ultrasonographic imaging of atherosclerotic progression and correlation with inflammatory markers in apolipoprotein-E knockout mice.

We studied prospectively whether atherosclerotic progression in apolipoprotein-E knockout mice could be noninvasively and accurately measured by use of high-resolution ultrasonographic biomicroscopy. We examined the correlation between the ultrasonographic characterization of ascending aortic atherosclerotic plaque and plasma C-reactive protein, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6 levels in these mice.In 4 age groups (8, 16, 24, and 32 wk) of 8 male knockout mice each (atherosclerotic groups) and age-matched male C57BL/6 mice (control groups), we used ultrasonographic biomicroscopy to measure maximal plaque thickness or intima-media thickness in the ascending aorta. We compared the findings with corresponding histologic measurements, and we measured plasma C-reactive protein, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6 levels in each group.Mean atherosclerotic thicknesses and C-reactive protein and interleukin levels were significantly higher in each atherosclerotic group than in the control groups (all P < 0.05). Ultrasonographically measured atherosclerotic thickness correlated well with histologic measurements of the same vascular regions (r = 0.81, P < 0.001). C-reactive protein levels increased concomitantly with age in the knockout mice, and ultrasonographically measured atherosclerotic thickness correlated with those levels (r = 0.626, P < 0.001). However, there was no correlation between plasma interleukin levels and atherosclerotic severity as measured by ultrasonographic biomicroscopy.In the apolipoprotein-E knockout mice, we found that measurements of intima-media or maximal plaque thickness by ultrasonographic biomicroscopy noninvasively and accurately detected atherosclerotic progression, that plasma C-reactive protein levels correlated with atherosclerosis, and that elevated plasma C-reactive protein levels correlated with atherosclerotic severity.