Comparative Analysis of Conventional and Speckle Tracking Echocardiographic Variables Between Patients with Unrejected Heart Transplants and Healthy Individuals

Overview

Journal Arq Bras Cardiol

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2024 Aug 28

PMID 39194042

Authors

Aline Oliveira Martins Campo DallOrto

Maria Estefania Otto

Simone Ferreira Leite

Marco Antonio Freitas de Queiroz Mauricio Filho

Natalia Taveira Martins

Samuel Rabelo Araujo

Soraya Vasconcelos Almeida

Luiza Valle Oliveira Brizida

Fernando Antibas Atik

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Echocardiography is essential for the assessment of patients with heart transplants. However, normal values in such individuals are not clearly defined.

Objectives: To compare conventional echocardiographic and speckle tracking variables between patients with unrejected heart transplants and healthy individuals.

Methods: :A prospective study was conducted with adult patients having undergone heart transplantation at least one year earlier and submitted to endomyocardial biopsy followed by transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). Conventional TTE measures and mechanical heart strain assessments using speckle tracking were performed and the results were compared to those of a group of healthy volunteers. Statistical significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05).

Results: Thirty-six transplant patients without rejection were analyzed and compared to 30 healthy individuals. Chagas disease was the main reason for transplantation. Lower left ventricular global longitudinal strain expressed in absolute values was found (11.99% in transplant patients vs. 20.60% in controls; p <0.0001), right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (16.67% in transplant patients vs. 25.50% in controls; p <0.0001) and myocardial work indices (p < 0.0001) as well as a larger size of the left atrium (38.17 ml/m2 in transplant patients vs. 18.98 ml/m2 in controls; p <0.0001) and greater mass and relative wall thickness (p <0.0001).

Conclusion: Stable patients having undergone heart transplants without rejection have differences concerning echocardiographic variables compared to healthy individuals. These findings indicate that conventional echocardiographic measures and heart mechanics are altered in transplant patients even in the absence of rejection. Such findings are relevant to the clinical context and follow-up of the patient.

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