Related Experiment Videos
Doppler echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular diastolic function in patients with systemic lupus
S Fujimoto1, T Kagoshima, T Nakajima
1First Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Japan.
Insights
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients exhibit impaired left ventricular diastolic function, even in clinically inactive disease. Doppler echocardiography revealed prolonged relaxation times and altered filling patterns in SLE individuals compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease.
- Subclinical cardiac involvement is common in SLE patients.
- Diastolic dysfunction can precede overt cardiac symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate left ventricular diastolic function in patients with clinically inactive SLE.
- To identify echocardiographic markers of diastolic abnormalities in SLE.
- To compare diastolic properties between SLE patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Doppler echocardiography was performed on 30 patients with inactive SLE and 12 healthy controls.
- Pulsed wave transmitral Doppler flow velocity curves and their derivatives were analyzed.
- Key diastolic parameters including isovolumic relaxation time (IRT) and filling wave characteristics were measured.
Main Results:
- Patients with SLE showed significantly prolonged IRT and deceleration half-time of the rapid filling wave (DHTe).
- Elevated atrial contraction wave (A), A/E ratio, and peak atrial filling velocity derivatives (peak dA/dt, -peak dA/dt) were observed in the SLE group.
- These findings indicate impaired diastolic function in SLE patients despite clinical inactivity.
Conclusions:
- Clinically inactive SLE is associated with abnormal left ventricular diastolic function.
- Doppler echocardiography can detect subclinical diastolic abnormalities in SLE.
- Early identification of diastolic dysfunction may allow for timely intervention in SLE management.
Abstract:
Thirty patients with clinically inactive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were examined by Doppler echocardiography to investigate the diastolic properties of the left ventricle. Twelve age-matched healthy women were also examined as controls. The pulsed wave transmitral Doppler flow velocity curves were digitized and curves of their first derivatives were obtained. Isovolumic relaxation time (IRT), acceleration and deceleration half-time of the rapid filling wave (E) and atrial contraction wave (A) (AHTe, DHTe, AHTa, DHTa), A/E, peak dE/dt, -peak dE/dt, peak dA/dt, -peak dA/dt were measured. In the SLE group, IRT and DHTe were prolonged, A, A/E, peak dA/dt and -peak dA/dt were increased compared with the control group. We conclude that patients with SLE have abnormal left ventricular diastolic function, even though their disease is clinically inactive.