Objective: To study the value of speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) for assessing left ventricular remodeling (LVR) in patients of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with late percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 127 STEMI patients with elective PCI were enrolled. Echocardiography was conducted within 48 hours of admission and the patients were followed-up for 6-9 (median 7.8) months after discharge. LVR was deifned by left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) elevation >15% than the ifrst echocardiography. The patients were divided into 2 groups: LVR group,n=41 and Non-LVR group,n=84. Results: There were significant differences between 2 groups in left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS), longitudinal Ts-SD, radial strain (RS) and longitudinal postsystolic index. Further Logistic regression analysis indicated that GLS (OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.26-0.57,P<0.01) and RS (OR=1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13,P=0.01) were the independent predictors for LVR occurrence; ROC presented that the optimal cut-off value for GLS was -10.85% (sensitivity 89.7%, specificity 91.7%) and for RS was 28.46% (sensitivity 82.1%, speciifcity 66.7%). Conclusion: STE measured GLS and RS were the independent predictors for LVR occurrence in STEMI patients with late PCI.

Objective: To evaluate left atrial (LA) function and synchrony in lone atrial fibrillation (LAF) patients by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) and to explore the predictive value of 2D-STE parameters for AF recurrence after ablation procedure. Methods: Our research included in 2 groups: LAF group,n=50 patients diagnosed in our hospital from 2013-06 to 2015-05; it was further divided into 2 subgroups as Non-LA enlargement subgroup,n=34 and LA enlargement subgroup,n=16 and Control group,n=35 healthy subjects. With sinus rhythm, 2D-STE was conducted to obtain LA peak ventricular systolic longitudinal strain (PALS), strain rate (SRs) and atrial contraction longitudinal strain (ACLS), strain rate (SRa). Standard deviation for the time to peak (TPSD) of regional strain was calculated. TPSD during ventricular systole was named as SDs and TPSD during ventriculardiastole was named asSDa. Results: Compared with Control group, LAF group had reduced PALS (28.34±8.57) vs (38.73±6.13), SRs (1.17±0.31) vs (1.57±0.25), ACLS (14.11±4.91) vs (18.86±3.57 ) and SRa (-1.41±0.58) vs (-1.90±0.30), allP<0.05; while elevated SDs (8.11±3.00) % vs (4.67±1.48) % and SDa (5.57±2.26) % vs (3.11±1.13) %, bothP<0.05. Furthermore, Compared with Control group, Non-LA enlargement subgroup had decreased PALS, SRs, ACLS and SRa, allP<0.05; while increased SDs and SDa, bothP<0.05. Logistic regression analysis indicated that compared with traditional parameters, SDs and SDa could more effectively distinguish LAF patients from normal subjects (SDs with the sensitivity 83%, speciifcity 72% and SDa with the sensitivity 81%, speciifcity 76%). Elevated SDa and SDs were the best predictors for post-operative AF recurrence (SDs with the sensitivity 80%, speciifcity 71% and SDa with the sensitivity 86%, speciifcity 79%). Conclusion: 2D-STE may detect LA dysfunction and dyssynchrony in LAF patients, abnormal parameters could be found in LAF patients without LA enlargement. SDs and SDa were the best predictors for post-operative AF recurrence.

Objective To evaluate the outcome of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients received different reperfusion therapies. Methods The 238 consecutive STEMI patients were enrolled from February 2012 to December 2012. According to the current guideline of PCI and the choice of patients, the patients were divided into the groups of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), ifbrinolysis, and conservative medication. The major adverse cardiac events (MACE) was analyzed in a follow up of 6 months. Results (1) The enrolled patients included the 210 patients received PCI (88.2%), 14 patients received fibrinolysis (5.9%) and 14 patients received conservative medication (5.9%).The Median time of D2B was 110minutes.(2) The rate of late stent thrombosis was signiifcant higher in BMS than DES (n=2, 2.8%vs 0, P < 0.05) . (3) The PCI group had a signiifcantly higher incidence of stroke than the ifbrinolysis group and the conservative medication group (1.0%vs 0, P < 0.05;1.0%vs 0, P<0.05). (4) The PCI group had a signiifcantly higher incidence of bleeding compared to the thrombolysis group and the medication group (1.0% vs 0, P < 0.05; 1.0% vs 0%, P < 0.05). Conclusions The majority of STEMI patients received PCI;The D2B time, which was required<90 minutes in guideline of PCI, was found delayed in our study;Compared to ifbrinolysis and conservative medication, PCI showed better clinical outcomes of STEMI patients.

Objective To investigate the value of quantitative analysis of the left ventricular longitudinal strain in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging.Methods Twenty-eight HCM patients with normal LVEF (all of the cases were non obstructive HCM),who were diagnosed by clinical and ultrasound echocardiography between January 1,2015 and January 1,2016 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University,served as the experimental group.And twenty healthy volunteers served as the healthy control group.The peak longitudinal strain (LPS) of the left ventricle and the systolic peak of the left ventricle were calculated by the STE technique.The indexes such as the transmural gradient (△ LS=LPSEndo-LPSEpi)and the transmural gradient percentage (△ LS％=△ LS/LPSEndo) were calculated.The Peak systolic longitudinal strain of endocardium (LPSEndo),the peak systolic longitudinal strain of mid-cardium (LPSMid),the peak systolic longitudinal strain of epicardium (LPSEpi),the peak systolic longitudinal strain of basal segment (LPSb),the peak systolic longitudinal strain of middle segment (LPSm),the peak systolic longitudinal strain of apical segment (LPSa),the global peak systolic longitudinal strain (GLPS) and other left ventricular myocardial strain,such as △ LS,△ LS％,in both the HCM group and the healthy control group,were analyzed by using independent samples t test comparison.For each layer of the left ventricle and the overall myocardial longitudinal strain,two independent sample t test was used for comparison between groups,and LSD-t test was used for intra-group comparison.Results (1) There was a gradient of LPS among the three layers and the three segments in both of the two groups:LPSEndo and LPSMid [(18.36±4.97)％ vs (13.80±4.23)％,(26.41±2.93)％ vs (22.19±2.49)％],the difference was statistically significant (t=5.550,8.529,P ＜ 0.05);LPSEndo and LPSEpi [(18.36±4.97) ％ vs (11.91 ±3.63)％,(26.41±2.93)％ vs (19.43±2.20)％],the difference was statistically significant (t=5.550,8.529,P ＜ 0.05);There was significant difference between LPSMid and LPSEpi in the healthy control group [(22.19 ± 2.49)％ vs (19.43 ± 2.20)％,t=3.709,P ＜ 0.05)],that was,LPSEndo ＞ LPSMid ＞ LPSEpi.LPSa and LPSm,the difference was statistically significant (t=4.029,6.839,P ＜ 0.05);LPSa and LPSb,the difference was statistically significant (t=5.304,9.887,P ＜ 0.05);There was significant difference between LPSm and LPSb in the healthy control group (t=4.170,P ＜ 0.05);that was,LPSa ＞ LPSm ＞ LPSb.In the HCM group,LPS in the 3 layers,3 segments,and the whole left ventricular wall were lower than that of the the healthy control group,the differences were statistically significant [GLPS:(14.63± 3.75)％ vs (22.68±2.51)％,t=-8.347;LPSEndo to LPSEpi:t=-6.477,-7.909,-8.242;LPSa to LPSb:t=-6.647,-8.790,-7.267;all P ＜ 0.05).(2) Compared with the healthy control group,both the segmental gradient and global transmural gradient in the HCM group were found reduced,but the difference had no statistical significance (all P ＞ 0.05).(3) The transmural gradient percentage both in the healthy control group and the HCM group were reduced from the apical segment to the basal segment,the difference were statistically significant (HCM group:t=9.985,5.969;healthy control group:t=17.513,7.043;all P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the healthy control group,the △ LS％a and the △ LS％m of HCM group were significantly higher [(58.86± 11.32)％ vs (43.70±4.73)％,(28.43± 11.48)％ vs (20.30± 3.66)％],and the difference was statistically significant (t=5.634,3.049,all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions (1) Using 2D-STI could accurately determine the regional or the global left ventricular systolic function in patients with HCM.(2) The transmural gradient percentage can be more sensitive to reflect the change of the transmural gradient,and more research needed to explore its value for clinical application.