Aortic valve calcification and myocardial fibrosis determine outcome following transcatheter aortic valve replacement

There is evidence to suggest that the subtype of aortic stenosis (AS), the degree of myocardial fibrosis (MF), and level of aortic valve calcification (AVC) are associated with adverse cardiac outcome in AS. Because little is known about their respective contribution, we sought to investigate their relative importance and interplay as well as their association with adverse cardiac events following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

One hundred consecutive patients with severe AS and indication for TAVR were prospectively enrolled between January 2017 and October 2018. Patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography, multidetector computed tomography, and left ventricular endomyocardial biopsies at the time of TAVR. The final study cohort consisted of 92 patients with a completed study protocol, 39 (42.4%) of whom showed a normal ejection fraction (EF) high-gradient (NEFHG) AS, 13 (14.1%) a low EF high-gradient (LEFHG) AS, 25 (27.2%) a low EF low-gradient (LEFLG) AS, and 15 (16.3%) a paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient (PLFLG) AS. The high-gradient phenotypes (NEFHG and LEFHG) showed the largest amount of AVC (807 ± 421 and 813 ± 281 mm³ , respectively) as compared with the low-gradient phenotypes (LEFLG and PLFLG; 503 ± 326 and 555 ± 594 mm³ , respectively, P < 0.05). Conversely, MF was most prevalent in low-output phenotypes (LEFLG > LEFHG > PLFLG > NEFHG, P < 0.05). This was paralleled by a greater cardiovascular (CV) mortality within 600 days after TAVR (LEFLG 28% > PLFLG 26.7% > LEFHG 15.4% > NEFHG 2.5%; P = 0.023). In patients with a high MF burden, a higher AVC was associated with a lower mortality following TAVR (P = 0.045, hazard ratio 0.261, 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.97).

MF is associated with adverse CV outcome following TAVR, which is most prevalent in low EF situations. In the presence of large MF burden, patients with large AVC have better outcome following TAVR. Conversely, worse outcome in large MF and relatively little AVC may be explained by a relative prominence of an underlying cardiomyopathy. The better survival rates in large AVC patients following TAVR indicate TAVR induced relief of severe AS-associated pressure overload with subsequently improved outcome.