Evaluation of left atrial function via two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a segmental dilation of an epicardial coronary artery. Our aim was to evaluate the left atrial (LA) function in patients with CAE. Twenty-seven consecutive patients with CAE and 33 subjects without significant coronary artery disease were included in our study. LA function was evaluated with two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE). The systolic, early diastolic and late diastolic strains and strain rates were not statistically significantly different between the two groups. Our findings demonstrated that LA function may not be affected by CAE when assessed with 2DSTE. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:231-237, 2017.

Aghajani H ，Faal M ，Hosseinsabet A ，Mohseni-Badalabadi R ... -  《-》

Evaluation of longitudinal left ventricular function in patients with coronary artery ectasia and vitamin D deficiency by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography.

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as the dilation of at least one segment of the coronary arteries that reaches at least 1.5 times the size of a normal neighboring segment. It has been shown that left ventricular (LV) diastolic function is impaired in patients with CAE. Also, it has been shown that LV function is impaired in vitamin D-deficient subjects compared with vitamin D-sufficient subjects and vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in CAE patients. We hypothesized that LV function is impaired in patients with CAE so we evaluated longitudinal LV myocardial function by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in patients with CAE and vitamin D deficiency without significant coronary artery stenosis and compared the results with those of subjects with vitamin D deficiency and near-normal coronary arteries. Our study population comprised 21 consecutive patients with CAE and without significant coronary artery stenosis (<50%) and 31 control subjects with near-normal coronary arteries. All subjects had vitamin D deficiency. All 2DSTE-derived indices of longitudinal LV function, comprised of the absolute values of systolic strain (14.0±2.7% vs 15.4±2.3%, P=.039), systolic strain rate (1.2±0.2/s vs 1.3±0.2/s, P=.015), early diastolic strain rate (1.1±0.3/s vs 1.3±0.3 s-1 , P=.030), and late diastolic strain rate (0.8±0.2/s vs 1±0.2/s, P=.005), were reduced in the patients with CAE and vitamin D deficiency. The systolic and diastolic functions of the LV in the patients with CAE and vitamin D deficiency were impaired as evaluated by 2DSTE.

Aghajani H ，Faal M ，Hosseinsabet A 《-》

The differences in left atrial function between ischemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy patients: A two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging study.

To evaluate left atrial (LA) function in patients with ischemic (ICM) or idiopathic dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathy via two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging. We measured the LA maximum volume, minimum volume, and volume before the atrial systole, and calculated total emptying volume, expansion index, active emptying volume, and fraction. We measured strain and strain rate during systole and late diastole using two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging, and analyzed correlations between variables. We found no significant differences in LA size, left ventricle (LV) end-diastole diameter, LV ejection fraction (EF), E/A, E/e', deceleration time of the E wave, and effective mitral regurgitant orifice area between the DCM and the ICM group. However, the LA expansion index, active EF, systolic and late diastolic strain, and strain rate were lower in the ICM group (p < 0.05). The expansion index and active EF were positively correlated with the systolic strain rate and the absolute value of the late diastolic strain rate, respectively. LA basic echocardiographic variables did not reflect the differences between ICM and DCM patients, but the systolic and late diastolic strain, as well as the strain rate, were lower in DCM patients. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging is a promising method to differentiate these patients. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:437-445, 2016.

Cao S ，Zhou Q ，Chen JL ，Hu B ，Guo RQ ... -  《-》

Association between atrial function assessed by 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography and albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

We compared left atrial function as assessed by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) between patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) with or without albuminuria, nondiabetic patients without CAD, and CAD patients without type 2 diabetes. This cross-sectional study was performed on 112 consecutive patients with CAD (28 nonalbuminuric patients without diabetes, 40 nonalbuminuric patients with type 2 diabetes, and 44 albuminuric patients with type 2 diabetes) and 30 consecutive patients with no CAD, no diabetes, and no albuminuria. Spot urine analysis was performed to measure the urine level of creatinine and albumin. Atrial mechanical variables were measured by 2DSTE. Although systolic strain and the absolute value of early diastolic strain rate were lower in the CAD groups than in the non-CAD group, there were no significant differences between the CAD groups. Early diastolic strain was lower in the diabetic patients with CAD than in the nondiabetic non-CAD group. There were, however, no significant differences between the CAD groups. In our CAD patients, there was no significant association between the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and albuminuria and left atrial function, but the reservoir and conduit function of the left atrium were lower in the CAD patients. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:561-570, 2016.

Moinfar A ，Hosseinsabet A ，Sotudeh-Anvary M 《-》

Effects of vitamin D deficiency on left atrial function as evaluated by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent the world over, and some of its effects on the cardiovascular system have been previously demonstrated. We evaluated left atrial (LA) function via 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in subjects with and without vitamin D deficiency. Ninety-seven consecutive patients without significant coronary artery disease on selective coronary angiography were incorporated in our study and divided according to their serum level of vitamin D into 2 groups: with and without vitamin D deficiency. The early diastolic strain rate, as a marker of LA conduit function, was increased in patients with vitamin D deficiency (P = .008) and after adjustment for age (P = .046). However, after adjustment for all the confounding factors, vitamin D deficiency showed only a trend to be the independent determinant of LA early diastolic longitudinal strain rate (SRE, P = .065). Our findings indicated that LA function, as evaluated by 2DSTE, was not different between subjects with and without vitamin D deficiency after adjustment for the confounding factors.

Akhavan-Khaleghi N ，Hosseinsabet A ，Mohseni-Badalabadi R 《-》