Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation
Published on: October 20, 2016
Diagnostic implication of left atrial stiffness index in patients with SLE with left ventricular diastolic
Xiaofang Zhong1, Yingying Pan1, Lixiong Liu2
1Department of Ultrasound, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology; The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Objective:
The left atrial stiffness index (LASI) has been proven to be a promising marker for assessing left atrial (LA) and left ventricular diastolic functions. This study aimed to evaluate the implication of LASI in diagnosing left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in patients with SLE.
Methods:
145 patients diagnosed with SLE were enrolled and subdivided into two groups based on the absence of concomitant lupus nephritis (LN). Additionally, a control group comprising 57 healthy volunteers was recruited. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) was performed in all participants. Conventional parameters and the LA strains were obtained, and LASI was calculated.
Results:
(1) Patients with SLE presented significantly increased LA size and reduced function, with a significant increase in LASI, especially in those with concomitant LN. (2) LASI was positively correlated with age, interventricular end-diastolic septal thickness (IVSd) and E/e' (mitral E peak velocity to e' peak velocity) average, and negatively correlated with LA total emptying fraction (LATEF), LA passive emptying fraction (LAPEF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), LA reservoir strain (LASr) and LA conduit strain (LAScd). Multivariate analysis showed that age, IVSd, maximum LA size and SLE activity index were independent determinants of LASI. (3) LASI demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for LVDD compared with E/e' average, LATEF, LASr and LAScd, with an area under the curve of 0.919.
Conclusions:
LASI can effectively reflect changes in LA function in patients with SLE and provide superior diagnostic accuracy compared with other parameters and LA strains for LVDD. Therefore, LASI could be a potential marker for the early detection of LVDD in patients with SLE.
Related Concept Videos
Mitral Stenosis II: Clinical features and Diagnostic Tests
Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Aortic Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Mitral Stenosis I: Introduction
Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
