Objective To evaluate the value of peak time(PT) and corrected peak time(PTc) in the assessment of left ventricular long axis systolic function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).Methods Thirty-one DCM cases and thirty-six healthy cases were investigated using echocardiography.To obtain image of apical four-chamber view and apical two-chamber view, PT was measured by the technique of tissue motion annular displacement.The value of PTc was corrected by R-R interval.The critical value of PT and PTc was obtained by ROC curves.Results Compared with the PT of control group, the PT of DCM group at the site of septal and lateral were significantly increased ( P ＜0.05), but the PT at the site of anterior and inferior were no significantly increased ( P ＞0.05).The PTc at the four sites were significantly increased compared with control group ( P ＜0.05).The areas of under the ROC curve of PTc was 0.849 (95 % CI 0.699～0.929, P = 0.000), sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis cardiac dysfunction were 80.6 % and 66.7% respectively.Conclusions The PTc was significantly increased in patients with DCM.PTc was useful to evaluate left ventricular dysfunction in DCM patients.

Purpose Many studies have shown that subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction is seen in prediabetic patients.However,its relationship with prognosis is unclear.The purpose of this study is to investigate the prognostic value of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction with prediabetes.Materials and Methods This was a prospective clinical cohort study.A total of 98 prediabetes patients with complete medical record and follow up data in the physical exam center and the clinic of Yan'an People's Hospital were chosen between January 2013 and January 2014.The biochemical data,echocardiography and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) in 2 years of follow up were collected.The subjects were grouped into diabetes if the diagnosis was confirmed during follow up,or non-diabetes group if not diagnosed.After follow up,the baseline parameters were compared to screen for risk factors to develop clinical diabetes.Results During the study,38 participants were diagnosed as clinical diabetes.Cox proportional hazard regression models show that obesity [hazard ratio (HR):2.662,95％ CI 1.374-5.159,P=0.004],waist-hip ratio (HR:1.917,95％ CI:1.012-3.492,P=0.001),mitral E/e'ratio (HR:1.661,95％ CI:1.336-2.065,P＜0.001),HbAlc (HR:2.029,95％ CI:1.047-3.932,P＜0.001),global longitudinal strain (HR:0.786,95％ CI:0.728-0.848,P＜0.001) were significant independent predictors for developing diabetes.Using GLS＜18％ as cutoff value,the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to predict development of diabetes was 0.796 (95％ CI:0.704-0.888,P＜0.001),with sensitivity and specificity of 46.7％ and 89.5％,respectively.Conclusion Among modifiable risk factors in patients with prediabetes,subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction is an early indicator of progressing to diabetes.Early detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in prediabetes can provide the basis for early clinical intervention.

Objective To evaluate the value and feasibility of tissue mitral annular displacement (TMAD) in the assessment of left ventricular global and segmental longitudinal systolic function and synchronization in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.Methods The study population consisted of 39 on-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (nHCM) patients and 39 healthy volunteers matched by gender and age.Left ventricular global and segmental longitudinal were measured by speckle tracking imaging(STI).The mitral annular displacement (MAD) (anterioseptal,posterioseptal,anterior,lateral,posterior and inferior sites,respectively),peak of time (PT) and left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI) were measured by TMAD.The correlation between LSR and MAD was analyzed,and the parameters of MAD and SDI for tow groups were compared.Results The rate of effectively track segments of TMAD was significantly higher than that of STI(98.7％ vs 77.9％,P ＜0.001).There were high correlationship between segmental LSR and MAD(r =-0.784,P ＜0.001),and global and MADglobal (r =-0.897,P ＜0.001).Compared with the control group,MAD of six spots and MADglobal were significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.001,respectively),SDI was significantly increased(P ＜0.001).Conclusions TMAD is a sensitive and reproducible method for the assessment of LV longitudinal functionin patients with nHCM.

Objective:To explore protective effect of atorvastatin on blood vessels in early stage of atherosclerosis (AS).Methods:A total of 120 patients without AS plaques,who had >2 cardiovascular risk factors and received control cardiovascular risk factors therapy,were randomly divided into four groups:control group (did not receive atorvastatin),atorvastatin 5mg group,10mg group and 20mg group (received corresponding dose of atorvastatin). All patients were followed up for six months,changes of thromboxane B2 (TXB2),6-Keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-Keto-PGF1α),brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV),ankle brachial index (ABI)and intima-media thickness (IMT)were observed.Results:There were no significant changes in ABI and IMT between before and after treat-ment among four groups (P >0.05 all).Compared with baseline,TXB2、baPWV levels significantly rose,6-Keto-PGF1αlevel significantly decreased after treatment in control group and 5mg group;in contrast,TXB2、baPWV lev-els significantly decreased,6-Keto-PGF1αlevel significantly rose after treatment in 10mg group and 20mg group(P <0.05~ < 0.01).After treatment six-month,compared with control group and 5mg group,the TXB2 [(148.3 ± 29.2)pg/ml,(142.3±30.6)pg/ml vs.(111.5±22.8)pg/ml,(104.9 ± 17.4)pg/ml]、baPWV[(1621.1 ± 136.1) cm/s,(1597.7±125.3)cm/s vs.(1232.9±132.3)cm/s,(1178.2±155.1)cm/s]levels significantly decreased,6-Keto-PGF1α[(104.7±66.1)pg/ml,(102.2±70.3)pg/ml vs.(132.8±48.3)pg/ml,(139.1±66.3)pg/ml]level significantly rose(P <0.05~<0.01)in 10 mg group and 20 mg group.Conclusion:Atorvastatin has protective effect on blood vessels in early stage of atherosclerosis,and 10mg atorvastatin may be the minimum effective dosage to protect blood vessels.

Purpose To evaluate the myocardial perfusion in diabetes mellitus (DM) rats with insulin intervention at different times by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) so as to explore the value of MCE in evaluating the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM).Materials and Methods In this prospective study,90 rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC) group,DM group and insulin intervention (INS) group,with 30 rats in each group.After the DM models were established,the INS group was then divided into three subgroups of A,B and C treated with insulin intervention at 0,4 and 8 weeks respectively and further treated continuously for 12 weeks.The NC and DM groups were also randomly divided into three subgroups and fed synchronously just as the INS group but without insulin intervention.At the end of 12,16 and 20 weeks after modeling,the rats in each subgroup were examined by MCE.The changes of myocardial blood volume (A),blood velocity (β) and blood flow (A×β) were analyzed,and the myocardial tissues were also collected for pathological examination.Results A,β and A×β were increased in INS group compared with DM group (P＜0.05).Compared with NC group,the values of INS group including A×β in A subgroup,A and A×β in B subgroup,A,β and A×β in C subgroup were decreased (all P＜0.05).In INS group,there was no difference in the three values of myocardial blood between A and B subgroup (P＞0.05),but A and A×β were lower in C subgroup than those in A subgroup (P＜0.05).On pathology,the thickness of capillary basement membrane of INS group improved compared with DM group;the capillary density of INS group increased compared with DM group,but there was significant difference only inA subgroup (P＜0.05).Conclusion Early insulin intervention can improve myocardial microvascular structure and increase myocardial blood flow.MCE can be used to evaluate the myocardial microcirculation of DCM rats sensitively and accurately,which can be used as an important method for early diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of DCM with clinical significance.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the value of tissue mitral annular displacement (TMAD) in the assessment of left ventricular long axis systolic function and the relationship of obese degree with left ventricular long axis systolic function in patients with abdominal obesity.MethodsThirty-eight abdominal obesity cases and thirty-four healthy cases were investigated using echocardiography.The images of apical four-chamber view and apical two-chamber view were obtained,systolic mitral annular displacement (MADs),mid-point of mitral annular displacement(MAD-midpt),mid-point of mitral annular normalized displacement(MAND-midpt) and mid-point of mitral annular biplanar normalized displacement(MABNDmidpt) were measured by the technique of TMAD.Their characteristics between patients with abdominal obesity and healthy group were compared,and the relationship of waist-hip ratio(WHR) and related indexes of MAD were analyzed.ResultsIn abdominal obesity group,the MADs at the four site were significantly decreased compared with control group (P＜0.001,respectively),the MAD-midpt and MAND-midpt of apical four-chamber view and apical two-chamber view were significantly decreased compared with control group (P＜0.001,respectively).The WHR related with MABND-midpt independently by the analysis of partial correlation(r=-0.697,P=0.000).ConclusionsThe left ventricular long axis systolic function were damaged in patients with abdominal obesity.The technique of TMAD could quantitatively assess the left ventricular long axis systolic function in patients with abdominal obesity.

Objective To observe the hemodynamic changes of acute after cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT) interruption in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF),and explore the benefit of hemodynamic of the reverse remodeling and non-reverse remodeling CHF patients during CRT.Methods 46 CHF patients who had undergone implantation of CRT device for more than 6 months were enrolled in the study.The reverse remodeling and non-reverse remodeling were identified by reduction of LV end-systolic volumes ≥ 15％.The two groups underwent echocardiography,and mitral regurgitation area (MRA),velocity time integral of aortic valve (VTI-AV),velocity time integral of mitral valve(VTI-MV),maximum rising rate of left intra-ventricular pressure(+ dp/dtmax),LVFT/T were measured in on and off mode of CRT.Hemodynamic indicators of two groups were compared in CRT on and off modes.The rate of changes of above mentioned parameters ΔMRA,ΔVTI-AV,ΔVTI-MV,Δdp/dt and ΔLVFT/T were calculated and compared in the two groups.Results MRA had significant increasing in both group after 10 minutes intereuption of CRT (P ＜0.01).Two groups had significant worsening of VTI-AV,VTI-AV,+ dp/dtmax and LVFT/T after 10 minutes interruption of CRT as compared to CRT-on mode (P ＜0.05).ΔMRA,ΔVTI-MV,Δdp/dt of reverse remodeling group significantly higher than non-reverse remodeling group(P ＜0.05).But there was no difference in ΔVTI-AV and ΔLVFT/T(P ＞0.05).Conclusions The hemodynamic index become worsening after 10 minutes interruption of CRT in both group of medium-and long-term CRT patients especially in reverse remodeling group,suggesting that patients of both groups have obtained hemodynamic benefits continuously during CRT.Reverse remodeling group get more benefits than non reverse remodeling group.

Objective:To evaluate the left ventricular myocardial strain in patients with light chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA) with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(3D-STI), and to explore the clinical value of 3D-STI in predicting the prognosis of AL-CA patients with normal LVEF.Methods:A total of 80 patients with AL-CA and LVEF≥50% were retrospectively analyzed in the Xijing Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from October 2014 to May 2020.According to whether the patients had endpoint events, they were divided into endpoint event group and non-endpoint event group. The clinical data, conventional echocardiographic parameters, 3D-STI related parameters and follow-up results were collected. Cox regression proportional hazards model was used to analyze the survival status of AL-CA patients with univariate and multivariate regression analyses, in order to find the relevant indicators of conventional echocardiography and 3D-STI to predict adverse events.Results:All patients were followed up for 20(7.3, 40.8) months. At the end of follow-up, 25 patients had all-cause deaths. Compared with the non-endpoint group, the endpoint event group had significantly increased left ventricular end diastolic maximum wall thickness (MLVWT), peak early diastolic flow velocity/peak early diastolic velocity at mitral annulus(E/e′) (all P<0.05), and decreased LVEF, left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and basal segment longitudinal strain (LS) (all P<0.05). Multivariate cox regression analysis after adjusting for age and gender showed that basal segment LS ( HR=0.812, 95% CI=0.675-0.976, P=0.026) was an independent predictor of end-point events in patients with AL-CA. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that AL-CA patients with basal segment LS≤13.07% were more likely to have endpoint events. Conclusions:Basal segment LS can be used as a predictor of endpoint events in patients with AL-CA.

Objective To assess whether strain parameters derived from three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging ( 3D-STI) could identify improvement of cardiac function and predict response of patients with immunoglobulin light-chain cardiac amyloidosis ( AL-CA) following chemotherapy . Methods Totally 13 patients with AL-CA [aged (58 .5 ± 8 .9)years;69％ males] were treated with melphalan or bortezomib-based regimens and by regular chemotherapy for 6 months .The clinical data was collected . Maximal left ventricular wall thickness (MLVWT) ,left ventricular mass index (LVMI) ,left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF) ,systolic mitral annular velocity ( s′) ,early diastolic mitral annular velocity echocardiography ( e′) , 3D-STI global longitudinal ,circumferential ,radial and area strain (GLS ,GCS ,GRS ,and GAS) ,the standard deviation of time to peak longitudinal strain among 16 left ventricular segments ( TS-SD_GLS ) were obtained by conventional echocardiography and 3D-STI . In addition ,serologic biomarkers including N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide ( NT-proBNP) and free light chains ( FLC) were acquired at baseline and 6 months after chemotherapy . These patients were divided into two groups according to difference of FLC :complete response (CR) group and Non-CR group . The clinical data ,cardiac ultrasound parameters and serological parameters were compared between groups ,each group parameters at baseline and 6 months after chemotherapy were compared within the group.Results ①There were no significant differencein conventional echocardiographic parameters ,GCS ,GRS and GAS ,as well as TS-SD_GLS in either group between before and after chemotherapy . But GLS was improved only in CR group ( P = 0 .036) ,and its improvement was correlated with the decrease in NT-proBNP ( r = -0 .738 , P = 0 .037) . ② In baseline evaluation ,patients in Non-CR group had increased LVMI ,deteriorated e′ and GLS ,and longer Ts-SD as compared to those in CR group ( all P < 0 .05 ) . ③ ROC analysis revealed that these parameters had discriminative ability to forecast those with better therapeutic effectiveness ,esecially for AL-CA patients with baseline LVMI<96 .55 g/m2 ,e′>4 .7 cm/s ,absolute value of GLS>16 .6％ ,and TS-SD_GLS<35 .2 ms ,which may have better hematologic response to chemotherapy . Conclusions GLS can identify early improvement of cardiac function in AL-CA patients after chemotherapy . Moreover ,LVMI ,e′,GLS and TS-SD_GLS are sensitive measurements of pre-treatment ventricular impairment ,and may predict better response to chemotherapy .

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of echocardiography-guided trans-right-ventricular percutaneous intramyocardial septal radiofrequency ablation (PIMSRA) in a healthy sheep model, and to observe the pathological changes of myocardium in ablation area one year later.Methods:Twelve sheep were divided into PIMSRA group ( n=6) and sham group ( n=6). In PIMSRA group, a radiofrequency (RF) electrode was inserted to the interventricular septum (IVS) with maximum power of 80 Watts for 5 minutes. In the sham group, RF electrode tip was positioned in IVS segment but without the RF power delivery. Electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE) were performed to assess the efficacy of PIMSRA at postoperative immediately, 2-week, 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month during the follow-up. The following parameters were recorded, including the thickness of ablation area, the systolic wall thickening rate and amplitude of movement of the ablated region, left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient (LVOT PG), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), mitral valve early diastolic peak velocity(E), late diastolic peak velocity(A) and the E/A ratio, peak velocity of early diastolic mitral annular motion(E′), peak velocity of late diastolic mitral annular motion(A′), and the E′/A′ ratio.For both groups, the myocardial biomarkers of troponin I, myoglobin and isoenzymes of creatine kinase were tested before the ablation and 3 h after the ablation, and again after 2 weeks. Tissue pathology examinations were performed at the end of study. Results:None of the animals in both groups was observed to have pericardial tamponade during perioperative period.Immediately after the procedure, septal hypokinesis was seen in all PIMSRA group animals, the systolic wall thickening rate and amplitude of movement of the ablated region were significantly decreased ( P<0.001), which was sustained until 12 months.In Sham group, there were no significant differences in the wall thickening rate and amplitude of movement of the operated region(all P>0.05).The thickness of the ablation area in the PIMSRA group was significantly increased immediately after the procedure( P<0.001), decreased to baseline level at 1-week ( P=0.931), and significantly increased at 3-month ( P<0.001).In the Sham group, the IVS thickness was significantly increased immediately after the procedure( P=0.005), decreased to baseline level at 1-week ( P=0.027), then has no further significant changes.There were no significant differences in LVEF, E/A, E′/A′ between PIMSRA and Sham group(all P>0.05).MCE showed the thickness of the ablation area was significantly decreased in the PIMSRA group 12 months after the operation.In both groups, troponin I increased significantly 3 h after the operation(all P<0.005), which decreased to baseline level 2 weeks later(all P>0.05). ECG showed that all the sheep had normal sinus rhythm. Pathological examinations revealed the tissue in the ablation area was fibrotic, having clear boundary with the surrounding normal tissue and no carbonization was observed 1 year later. Conclusions:Echocardiography-guided trans-right-ventricular PIMSRA produced precisely ablated myocardial tissues, reduced the IVS thickness significantly, preserved the global left ventricular function. All the sheep had normal sinus rhythm and without pericardial tamponade in 1 year follow-ups. Echocardiography-guided trans-right-ventricular PIMSRA is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for septal reduction therapy.