Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2025
Assessment of Cardiac Morphological and Functional Changes in Mouse Model of Transverse Aortic Constriction by Echocardiographic Imaging
Published on: June 21, 2016
Impact of systemic lupus erythematosus on cardiovascular morphologic and functional phenotypes: a Mendelian
Zishan Lin1,2,3, Wenfeng Wang1,2,3, Bingjing Jiang1,2,3
1Department of Nephrology, Blood Purification Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
Insights
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may causally affect heart function, increasing stroke volume and altering strain. This Mendelian randomization study suggests SLE impacts cardiovascular health, warranting targeted cardiac monitoring in patients.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Established correlation between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cardiovascular health.
- Limited understanding of the causal effects of SLE on cardiac structure and function.
- Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) as a key tool for assessing cardiac risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential causal relationship between SLE and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) traits.
- To determine if genetic predisposition to SLE influences cardiac morphology and function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.
- Employed genetic variants associated with SLE from a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) as instrumental variables.
- Analyzed 82 CMR traits from a separate GWAS, assessing cardiac morphology and function.
Main Results:
- Found evidence of a causal association between SLE and increased left ventricular stroke volume (LVSV).
- Observed significant alterations in regional and global peak circumferential strain in SLE patients.
- Identified a decrease in regional radial strain associated with SLE.
Conclusions:
- This study provides evidence for a potential causal link between SLE and specific alterations in cardiac function.
- Findings support the utility of cardiac examinations in SLE patients to guide disease management and prevention strategies.
- Highlights the importance of understanding cardiovascular implications in SLE.
Background:
Previous studies have established a correlation between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cardiovascular health, but the potential causal effects of SLE on heart function and structure remain poorly understood. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), a novel non-invasive technique, provides a unique assessment of cardiovascular structure and function, making it an essential tool for evaluating the risk of heart disease. In this study, we performed a Mendelian randomization analysis to determine the causal relationship between SLE and CMR traits.
Methods:
Genetic variants independently linked to SLE were selected from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) containing 5,201 cases and 9,066 controls as instrumental variables. A set of 82 CMR traits was obtained from a recent GWAS, serving as preclinical indicators and providing preliminary insights into the morphology and function of the four cardiac chambers and two aortic segments. Primary analysis employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization study using the inverse-variance weighted method. Heterogeneity testing, sensitivity analyses, and instrumental variable strength assessments confirmed the robustness of the findings.
Results:
SLE exhibited a correlation with increased stroke volume (βLVSV = 0.007, P = 0.045), regional peak circumferential strain (βEcc_AHA_9 = 0.013, P = 0.002; βEcc_AHA_12 = 0.009, P = 0.043; βEcc_AHA_14 = 0.013, P = 0.006), and global peak circumferential strain of the LV (βEcc_global = 0.010, P = 0.022), as well as decreased regional radial strain (βErr_AHA_11 = -0.010, P = 0.017).
Conclusions:
This research presents evidence of a potential causal association between traits of SLE and alterations in cardiac function, guiding cardiac examinations and disease prevention in lupus patients.
