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Intravital Microscopy Imaging of the Liver following Leishmania Infection: An Assessment of Hepatic Hemodynamics
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Intravital Microscopy Imaging of the Liver following Leishmania Infection: An Assessment of Hepatic Hemodynamics

Published on: July 28, 2015

[Myocardial structural and functional changes in patients with chronic viral hepatitis concurrent with chronic

E I Beloborodova, I P Chelnova, E V Beloborodova

    Meditsinskaia Parazitologiia I Parazitarnye Bolezni
    |September 29, 2010
    PubMed

    Insights

    Chronic viral hepatitis, especially hepatitis C, can cause myocardial damage, even without cardiomyocyte necrosis. Opisthorchiasis may exacerbate these cardiac changes in patients with viral hepatitis.

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiology
    • Infectious Diseases
    • Hepatology

    Context:

    • Chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) and chronic opisthorchiasis are significant public health concerns.
    • The concurrent presence of these conditions may lead to complex pathophysiological changes.
    • Understanding the impact on cardiac function is crucial for patient management.

    Purpose:

    • To investigate myocardial alterations in patients with concurrent chronic viral hepatitis and chronic opisthorchiasis.
    • To assess cardiac function using Doppler echocardiography and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
    • To determine the specific effects of Opisthorchis infestation on the myocardium in the context of viral hepatitis.

    Summary:

    • Doppler echocardiography revealed increased left ventricular mass in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, irrespective of Opisthorchiasis.
    • Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was notably prevalent in chronic hepatitis C patients.
    • SPECT imaging showed myocardial tracer uptake in most Opisthorchiasis patients and diffuse accumulation in a third of viral hepatitis patients, particularly those with hepatitis C.
    • Myocardial lesions, characterized as dystrophic without cardiomyocyte necrosis, were identified in patients with concurrent chronic hepatitis C and opisthorchiasis.

    Impact:

    • This study highlights the subclinical myocardial damage associated with concurrent chronic viral hepatitis and opisthorchiasis.
    • Findings emphasize the need for cardiac monitoring in patients with these co-infections.
    • The research contributes to understanding the cardiotoxic effects of parasitic and viral liver diseases.

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