Minmin Sun

Two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography combined with high‐sensitive cardiac troponin T in early detection and prediction of cardiotoxicity during epirubicine‐based chemotherapy

To investigate whether alterations of myocardial strain and high‐sensitive cardiac troponin T (cTnT) could predict future cardiac dysfunction in patients after epirubicin exposure.

Early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography

BACKGROUND To examine the subclinical myocardial injury shortly after epirubicin exposure in asymptomatic patients with large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma using 2-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography. METHODS Sixty-seven patients aged 52.58 ± 13.86 years with large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with epirubicin were studied. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and 1 day after completion of the therapy. Global and regional longitudinal (LS), circumferential (CS) and radial strain (RS), standard deviation of time to peak LS (TLS-SD), CS (TCS-SD), RS(TRS-SD) were calculated using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography. RESULTS Despite normal left ventricular ejection fraction, global LS (-18.30 ± 1.87% vs.-16.18 ± 1.92%; p < 0.01), CS (-20.37 ± 2.89% vs. -18.25 ± 2.40%, p < 0.01) and RS (39.95 ± 5.79% vs. 36.15 ± 5.79%, p < 0.01), were remarkably reduced compared to baseline values. However, TLS-SD, TCS-SD and TRS-SD showed no significant difference after epirubicin exposure. Hypertension was an independent predictor of reduction of global LS, CS and RS. CONCLUSIONS Subtle abnormalities in myocardial systolic function were present in asymptomatic patients shortly after anthracycline exposure, which could be detected by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography.

Is the optimal atrioventricular delay paced from right ventricular outflow tract different from that from right ventricular apex

The objective of this study was to compare the optimal atrioventricular delay (OAVD) paced from right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) with that paced from right ventricular apex (RVA) in patients implanted with DDD pacemaker. A total of 43 patients implanted with DDD pacemaker due to high or third degree atrioventricular block were enrolled. The atrial lead was positioned in the right atrial appendage and the ventricular lead was randomly placed in RVOT (n=21) or RVA (n=22). AVD optimization increased aortic flow velocity integral both in RVOT and RVA paced patients. P wave duration (P<0.05) rather than QRS duration (P>0.10) was the independent determinant of OAVD. OAVD was similar between RVA and RVOT paced patients (116.81+/-34.00 ms vs 107.14+/-26.30 ms, P>0.05).

Long-term impacts of hemodialysis on the right ventricle: Assessment via 3-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a major cause of death in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). We used 3‐dimensional speckle‐tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) to evaluate long‐term impacts of MHD on RV function.

Assessment of subclinical left ventricular changes in essential hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia: A three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography study

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effect of hyperuricemia (HU) on subclinical changes of left ventricle (LV) function and structure in patients with hypertension (HT) using three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) and to explore the relationships between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) parameters in hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients with HU. Methods: Four age- and sex-matched groups were studied: I: healthy controls, HT– HU– (n = 40); II: HT– HU+ (n = 40); III: HT+ HU– (n = 40); IV: HT+ HU+ (n = 44). Conventional echocardiography and 3DSTE were recorded. Relative wall thickness (RWT) and left ventricular mass index assessed by M-mode echocardiography (LVMi-M) were calculated. 3DSTE parameters including LV volumes and ejection fraction (EF), LVMi-3D, global longitudinal strain (GLS), and global circumferential strain (GCS) were compared. The relationships between SUA levels and 3DSTE parameters were investigated. Results: Despite LV diameters, LV volumes and EF were similar among groups (all p > 0.05), GLS decreased and LVMi-3D increased from controls (group I) to patients with HU or HT alone (group II or III), and patients with both HU and HT (group IV) (all p < 0.05). SUA levels were significantly correlated with the absolute value of GLS (r = −0.461, p < 0.05) and LVMi-3D (r = 0.504, p < 0.05) in hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients with HU. Conclusions: HU may exacerbate LV systolic dysfunction and remodeling in hypertensive patients, which can be detected by 3DSTE. Early uric acid lowing treatment may be beneficial for hypertensive patients with HU.