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Gretchen Kopec, Prem S Shekhawat, Maroun J Mhanna Department of Pediatrics, MetroHealth Medical Centre, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA Abstract: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is when fetuses and newborn infants have not reached their true growth potential as genetically defined. Fetuses with IUGR develop in a less than ideal environment that leads to epigenetic changes and marks infants’ metabolism for the rest of their lives. Epigenetic changes affect insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels and lead to insulin resistance and ultimately to a metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of illnesses that raise one’s risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and ischemic heart disease, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, central obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation. The association between IUGR or prematurity and long-term insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome remains unclear. While studies have shown an association, others have not supported such association. If alteration of intrauterine growth can ultimately lead to the development of metabolic derangements in childhood and adulthood, and if such association is true, then early interventions targeting the health of pregnant women will ensure the health of the population to follow. Keywords: diabetes, obesity, low birth weight infants, metabolic syndrome

An abstract of the article "Relation between left ventricular systolic function assessed at rest and peak stress and basic spiroergometric parameters," by P. Rubis and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the study "The Role of Left Ventricle Isovolumic Contraction and Ejection Phase Parameters at Rest and During Stress Echocardiography in Predicting Exercise Tolerance in Ischemic Heart Failure Patients," by P. Rubis and colleagues is presented.

The article presents an abstract of the study "Relation Between Left Ventricle Diastolic Function Changes During Stress Echocardiography and Exercise Capacity in Ischemic Heart Failure Patients," by P. Dubis and colleagues.

An abstract of the article "Impact of Diastolic Function Changes During Stress Echocardiography on Exercise Tolerance in Ischemic Heart Failure Patients," by P. Rubis and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Usefulness of echocardiographic test with inhaled nitric oxide in assessment of responsiveness to vasodilators in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension," by M. Kaznica-Wiatr and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "The role of isovolumic contraction parameters in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy subjected to cardiopulmonary exercise test," by P. Podolec and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Relation between right ventricle systolic function and exercise capacity in ischaemic heart failure patients," by P. Podolec and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Do elderly patients benefit from transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect?," by P. Podolec and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Myocardial contractile reserve as an indicator of exercise tolerance in ischaemic heart failure patients," by P. Podolec and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the study "Responsiveness to Inhaled Nitric Oxide in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Right Heart Failure," by P. Podolec et al. is presented.

Linear prediction (LPC) is a generally accepted method for obtaining all-pole speech representations. However, in many situations (e.g., nasalization studies) spectral zeros are important and a more general modeling procedure is required. Unfortunately the need for pitch synchronization has limited the success of available techniques. This talk deals with a new approach to pole-zero identification, based on homomorphic prediction, which avoids the synchronization problem. Homomorphonic prediction is a three step process. Homomorphic deconvolution is used to obtain a minimum-phase estimate of the vocal tract impulse response. Such a signal by definition is properly time synchronized. Linear prediction is applied to this waveform to identify its poles. Next, the LPC 'residual' (error signal) is computed by inverse filtering. This signal contains the information about the zeros. Its z transform is approximated by a polynomial either through a weighted least-squares procedure (as in Shanks' method) or by spectral inversion followed by a second evaluation on real speech data will be presented. [Supported in part by ARPA, NSF, and the Fannie and John Hertz Fonudation.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental stand for investigation of induction surface hardening of gear wheels was described in the paper. In order to control parameters of the process a specialized equipment for identification of all important process parameters including registration of temperature changes in time and measurements of current intensity was installed. Exemplary results are presented. It is planned that the stand will be used as a demonstrator for a presentation of advantages of modern induction hardening technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current treatment algorithm for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) as depicted in the 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) includes a multimodal approach of combinations of pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA), balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) and medical therapies to target major vessel pulmonary vascular lesions, and microvasculopathy. Today, BPA of >1700 patients has been reported in the literature from centers in Asia, the US, and also Europe; many more patients have been treated outside literature reports. As BPA becomes part of routine care of patients with CTEPH, benchmarks for safe and effective care delivery become increasingly important. In light of this development, the ESC Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and Right Ventricular Function has decided to publish a document that helps standardize BPA to meet the need of uniformity in patient selection, procedural planning, technical approach, materials and devices, treatment goals, complications including their management, and patient follow-up, thus complementing the guidelines. Delphi methodology was utilized for statements that were not evidence based. First, an anatomical nomenclature and a description of vascular lesions are provided. Second, treatment goals and definitions of complete BPA are outlined. Third, definitions of complications are presented which may be the basis for a standardized reporting in studies involving BPA. The document is intended to serve as a companion to the official ESC/ERS guidelines., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

We aimed to evaluate the clinical course and impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the rate of diagnosis and therapy in the complete Polish population of patients (pts) with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH-1134) and CTEPH (570 pts) treated within the National Health Fund program and reported in the national BNP-PL database. Updated records of 1704 BNP-PL pts collected between March and December 2020 were analyzed with regard to incidence, clinical course and mortality associated with COVID-19. Clinical characteristics of the infected pts and COVID-19 decedents were analyzed. The rates of new diagnoses and treatment intensification in this period were studied and collated to the proper intervals of the previous year. The incidence of COVID-19 was 3.8% (n = 65) (PAH, 4.1%; CTEPH, 3.2%). COVID-19-related mortality was 28% (18/65 pts). Those who died were substantially older and had a more advanced functional WHO class and more cardiovascular comorbidities (comorbidity score, 4.0 ± 2.1 vs. 2.7 ± 1.8; p = 0.01). During the pandemic, annualized new diagnoses of PH diminished by 25-30% as compared to 2019. A relevant increase in total mortality was also observed among the PH pts (9.7% vs. 5.9% pre-pandemic, p = 0.006), whereas escalation of specific PAH/CTEPH therapies occurred less frequently (14.7% vs. 21.6% pre-pandemic). The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the diagnosis and treatment of PH by decreasing the number of new diagnoses, escalating therapy and enhancing overall mortality. Pulmonary hypertension is a risk factor for worsened course of COVID-19 and elevated mortality.

Background: Kaiser Sepsis Calculator (KSC) reduces antibiotic use, testing and intravenous infiltrates but there are concerns about the missed early onset sepsis (EOS) cases. We sought to apply the KSC score for culture-positive infants retrospectively in infants born in the last 10 years in our hospital., Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, the comparison groups were divided into Group A (no antibiotics recommended by KSC) and Group B (antibiotics recommended)., Results: Overall, 17/24 (71%) infants would have been started on antibiotics per KSC but 7/24 (29%) would not. The initial EOS risk was not significantly different between the groups (Group A vs. Group B: 0.44 vs. 0.76, P = 0.41), but the final risk score was (0.33 vs. 9.41, P < 0.001). In Group A (no antibiotics), 3/7 infants became symptomatic between 9 and 42 hours., Conclusion: There may be a potential delay in starting antibiotics in infants that are asymptomatic at birth while using KSC., (© 2021. Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Little is known about the impact of the pandemic on medical and psycho-social aspects of children with rare diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and their parents. The study is based on children registered in The Database of Pulmonary Hypertension in the Polish Population and a parent-reported survey deployed during the first 6 months of the pandemic. The questionnaire consisted of six question panels: demographic data, fear of COVID-19, General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), social impact of pandemic, patients' medical status, and alarming symptoms (appearance or exacerbation). Out of 80 children registered, we collected 58 responses (72.5% response rate). Responders (parents) were mostly female ( n = 55; 94.8%) at a mean age of 40.6 ± 6.9 years. Patients (children) were both females ( n = 32; 55%) and males with a mean age of 10.0 ± 5.1 years. Eleven (19%) children had symptoms of potential disease exacerbation. Eight parents (72.7%) decided for watchful waiting while others contacted their GPs or cardiologists ( n = 6; 54.5%). Three children had to be hospitalized (27.3%). Most planned hospitalizations (27/48; 56.2%) and out-patient visits (20/35; 57.1%) were cancelled, delayed, or substituted by telehealth services. Among the participating parents, the study shows very high levels of anxiety ( n = 20; 34.5%) and concern ( n = 55; 94.8%) and the need for detailed information (52; 89.6%) regarding COVID-19 and medical service preparedness during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced child healthcare and caused high levels of anxiety among parents.

We present the results from the pediatric arm of the Polish Registry of Pulmonary Hypertension. We prospectively enrolled all pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients, between the ages of 3 months and 18 years, who had been under the care of each PAH center in Poland between 1 March 2018 and 30 September 2018. The mean prevalence of PAH was 11.6 per million, and the estimated incidence rate was 2.4 per million/year, but it was geographically heterogeneous. Among 80 enrolled children (females, n = 40; 50%), 54 (67.5%) had PAH associated with congenital heart disease (CHD-PAH), 25 (31.25%) had idiopathic PAH (IPAH), and 1 (1.25%) had portopulmonary PAH. At the time of enrolment, 31% of the patients had significant impairment of physical capacity (WHO-FC III). The most frequent comorbidities included shortage of growth ( n = 20; 25%), mental retardation ( n = 32; 40%), hypothyroidism ( n = 19; 23.8%) and Down syndrome ( n = 24; 30%). The majority of children were treated with PAH-specific medications, but only half of them with double combination therapy, which improved after changing the reimbursement policy. The underrepresentation of PAH classes other than IPAH and CHD-PAH, and the geographically heterogeneous distribution of PAH prevalence, indicate the need for building awareness of PAH among pediatricians, while a frequent coexistence of PAH with other comorbidities calls for a multidisciplinary approach to the management of PAH children.

Background: Treprostinil, a prostacyclin analogue, is effective for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. However, information is scarce regarding treprostinil for treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous treprostinil in this setting., Methods: In this 24-week, randomised, double-blind controlled trial, we enrolled patients with CTEPH, classified as non-operable, or with persistent or recurrent pulmonary hypertension after pulmonary endarterectomy, in six European expert centres in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland. Patients in WHO functional class III or IV with a 6-min walk distance of 150-400 m were randomly assigned at a 1:1 allocation ratio to continuous high-dose subcutaneous treprostinil (target dose around 30 ng/kg per min at week 12) or low-dose subcutaneous treprostinil (target dose around 3 ng/kg per min at week 12). The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in 6-min walk distance at week 24. All patients who received at least one dose of the study drug were included in the intention-to-treat efficacy and safety analyses based on assessment of adverse events. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrialsRegister.eu EudraCT number 2008-006441-10 and ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01416636., Findings: From March 9, 2009, to June 9, 2016, 105 patients were enrolled with 53 (50%) patients randomly assigned to high-dose and 52 (50%) patients to low-dose subcutaneous treprostinil. At week 24, marginal mean 6-min walk distance improved by 44·98 m (95% CI 27·52 to 62·45) in the high-dose group, and by 4·29 m (95% CI -13·34 to 21·92) in the low-dose group (treatment effect 40·69 m, 95% CI 15·86 to 65·53, p=0·0016). 12 serious adverse events were reported in ten (19%) of 52 patients from the low-dose group and 16 serious adverse events were reported in nine (17%) of 53 patients from the high-dose group. The most common treatment-related adverse events in both groups were infusion site pain and other infusion site reactions., Interpretation: Treatment with subcutaneous treprostinil was safe, and improved exercise capacity in patients with severe CTEPH. Subcutaneous treprostinil provides a parenteral treatment option for patients of WHO functional class III or IV and those who do not tolerate other therapies or need combination treatment., Funding: SciPharm Sàrl., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objective: Objective of the study was to assess the psychological state of HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with regard to gender and aetiology., Methods: 758 patients with HFrEF (mean age - 64±11years, men - 79%, NYHA class III-IV - 40%, ischemic aetiology - 61%) in a prospective Polish multicenter Caps-Lock-HF study. Scores on five different self-report inventories: CISS, MHLC, GSES, BDI and modified Mini-MAC were compared between the sexes taking into account the aetiology of HFrEF., Results: There were differences in the CISS and BDI score between the genders - women had higher CISS (emotion- and avoidance-oriented) and BDI (general score - 14.2±8.7 vs 12.3±8.6, P<0.05; subscale - somatic score - 7.3±3.7 vs 6.1±3.7, P<0.05). In the ischemic subpopulation, women had higher BDI (general and subscales) than men. In the non-ischemic subpopulation the differences between genders were limited to CISS scale. In a multivariable analysis with demographic and clinical data female sex, NYHA class, atrial fibrillation and diabetes mellitus determined BDI score. Similarly, in the ischemic subpopulation, the female sex, NYHA class and atrial fibrillation determined the BDI, while in the non-ischemic population NYHA class was the only factor that influenced the BDI score. Adding the psychological data made a significant additional contribution to the prediction of depression status., Conclusions: There are distinct differences in psychological features with regard to gender in patients with HFrEF. Women demonstrate less favourable psychological characteristics. Gender-related differences in BDI score are especially explicit in patients with ischemic aetiology of HF. The BDI score is related to psychological predisposition., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated with inflammatory response but it is unknown whether it is associated with alterations in NNMT activity and MNA plasma concentration. Here we examined changes in NNMT-MNA pathway in PAH in rats and humans., Methods: PAH in rats was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of MCT (60 mg/kg). Changes in NNMT activity in the lungs and liver (assessed as the rate of conversion of nicotinamide (NA) to MNA), changes in plasma concentration of MNA and its metabolites (analyzed by LC/MS) were analyzed in relation to PAH progression. PAH was characterized by right ventricular hypertrophy (gross morphology), cardiac dysfunction (by MRI), lung histopathology, lung ultrastructure, and ET-1 concentration in plasma. NO-dependent and PGI2-dependent function in isolated lungs was analyzed. In naive patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPAH) characterized by hemodynamic and biochemical parameters MNA and its metabolites in plasma were also measured., Results: MCT-injected rats developed hypertrophy and functional impairment of the right ventricle, hypertrophy of the pulmonary arteries, endothelial ultrastructural defects and a progressive increase in ET-1 plasma concentration-findings all consistent with PAH development. In isolated lung, NO-dependent regulation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction was impaired, while PGI2 production (6-keto-PGF1α) was increased. NNMT activity increased progressively in the liver and in the lungs following MCT injection, and NNMT response was associated with an increase in MNA and 6-keto-PGF1α concentration in plasma. In IPAH patients plasma concentration of MNA was elevated as compared with healthy controls., Conclusions: Progression of pulmonary hypertension is associated with the activation of the NNMT-MNA pathway in rats and humans. Given the vasoprotective activity of exogenous MNA, which was previously ascribed to PGI2 release, the activation of the endogenous NNMT-MNA pathway may play a compensatory role in PAH.

Cardiovascular diseases, and in particular coronary artery disease (CAD), are the leading causes of death in Europe and represent around 50% of overall mortality. Numerous cardiovascular markers have been proposed in relation to cardiovascular risk prediction, in relation to cardiac and vascular and cerebral events. Chemokines which regulate immune cell vascular chemotaxis, including CCL5/RANTES are points of great interest. We hypothesized that chemokine RANTES level measured in peripheral blood may be associated with severity of atherosclerosis in patients with stable angina undergoing coronary angiography. RANTES and interleukin 18 (IL-18) levels were measured by ELISA. Classical and novel cardiovascular risk factors like brachial flow mediated dilation and intima-media thickness were analyzed in the context of chemokine levels and severity of atherosclerosis. Study included 62 consecutive patients with coronary atherosclerosis demonstrated by coronary angiography, (mean age 59.3 years (S.D. = 7.4)), divided into two groups: group I with lower severity of atherosclerosis, (n = 45) and group 2 with severe CAD (n = 17) based on coronary angiography. Groups were well balanced for classic risk factors for atherosclerosis. Mean RANTES level were significantly higher in patients in group I (67.9 ng/ml, S.E.M. = 3.97) than in group II (50.5 ng/ml, S.E.M. = 7.49; P = 0.03). In contrast, IL-18 levels were similar in both groups (255 pg/ml in group I and 315 pg/ml, S.E.M. = 40.91 in group I, P = 0.12), as well as hsCRP concentration (3.45 S.E.M. = 2.66 ng/ml and 4.69 ng/ml S.E.M.= 1.64 ng/ml respectively; P = 0.47). Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) values have been significantly lower in group II than in group I (6.31; S.E.M. = 0.61; vs 4.41; S.E.M. = 0,56, respectively, P = 0.026), while nitroglycerine-mediated dilatation (NMD) did not differ, indicating more pronounced endothelial dysfunction. No significant correlations between chemokine RANTES levels and intima-media thickness (IMT), FMD measurements have been found in the total population studied. Chemokine RANTES level could become a useful marker of severity of coronary artery disease. Its lower levels were observed in patients with more diffuse disease. Elevated level of chemokine RANTES in patients with stable angina pectoris may evaluate patients to high risk group in plaque formation at early stages of atherosclerosis.

Background: Up to 24% of stroke patients have chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and prognostic significance of decompensated heart failure (DHF) in acute stroke patients., Methods and Results: Five hundred sixty-six patients (median age 73 y, 48% men) admitted to the stroke unit within 24 hours after stroke were prospectively included. Diagnosis of DHF was made by a cardiologist during hospitalization. Function outcome was assessed 1 month after stroke onset with the use of a modified Rankin Scale. Unfavorable outcome was defined as scores 3-6. DHF was diagnosed in 17% of patients. Fifty-seven percent of patients with DHF had preserved ejection fraction. Patients with DHF were older and more often female and more frequently suffered from hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction. They also had more severe neurologic deficit and more often had hyperglycemia, leukocytosis, fever, pneumonia, and renal failure. After multivariate analysis, adjusting for age, stroke severity, atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, hyperglycemia, pneumonia, fever, leukocytosis, proteinuria, and reduced ejection fraction, DHF remained an independent predictor of worse outcome (odds ratio 2.34, 95% CI 1.12-4.89; P = .02)., Conclusions: DHF is a strong independent predictor of poor functional prognosis after ischemic stroke., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Growing evidence indicates that iron-deficiency anemia is common in patients with congenital heart diseases. The aim of this study was to characterize hematologic changes and iron metabolism in adult Fontan patients. We also searched for the associations between these parameters and physical performance in the study group., Methods and Results: Thirty-two white Fontan patients with a mean age of 25 ± 4.5 years and 30 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex were studied. Complete blood count together with iron-related parameters was determined in plasma of peripheral venous blood. The cardiopulmonary exercise test was performed. The Fontan patients had higher red blood cell counts (6.0 ± 2.1 × 10(9)/μl vs. 4.8 ± 0.4 × 10(9)/μl, p<0.001), hemoglobin (16.7 ± 1.4 g/dl vs. 14.2 ± 1.3g/dl, p<0.001), hematocrit (49 ± 3.4% vs. 42.1 ± 3.1%, p<0.001), red cell distribution width (RDW) (14.3 ± 2.4% vs. 12.8 ± 0.5%, p<0.001), while mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration were similar in both the groups. Compared to the controls, the Fontan patients had higher unsaturated iron binding capacity (46.1 ± 12.6 μmol/l vs. 38.4 ± 11.9 μmol/l, p=0.02), total iron-binding capacity (62.8 ± 9.8 μmol/l vs. 57.8 ± 8.5 μmol/l, p=0.04), lower transferrin saturation (27.4 ± 11.4% vs. 34.6 ± 13.4%, p=0.03), and oxygen uptake, while iron and ferritin levels were comparable in both the groups. The multivariate model showed that SatO2 and cystatin C were independent predictors of RDW, and alanine aminotransferase was an independent predictor of ferritin level. Interestingly RDW was an independent predictor of oxygen uptake., Conclusion: Adult patients after Fontan operation despite having increased hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cells have insufficient iron stores. Red cell distribution width is an indicator of iron deficiency in adult Fontan patients and it correlates with lower exercise capacity. Elevated ferritin levels in adult patients after Fontan surgery are associated with liver failure., (Copyright © 2014 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Correlation of the thickness of the left ventricular posterior wall (LVPWd) with various parameters, including age, gender, weight and height, was investigated in this study using regression models. Multicenter derived database comprised over 4,000 healthy individuals. The developed models were further utilized in the in vitro-in vivo (IVIV) translation of the drug cardiac safety data with use of the mathematical model of human cardiomyocytes operating at the virtual healthy population level. LVPWd was assumed to be equivalent to the length of one-dimensional string of virtual cardiomyocyte cells which was presented, as other physiological factors, to be a parameter influencing the simulated pseudo-ECG (pseudoelectrocardiogram), QTcF and ∆QTcF, both native and modified by exemplar drug (disopyramide) after I Kr current disruption. Simulation results support positive correlation between the LVPWd and QTcF/∆QTc. Developed models allow more detailed description of the virtual population and thus inter-individual variability influence on the drug cardiac safety.

Background: Effective management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is limited by patient delay in calling an ambulance. We aimed to assess knowledge related to a patient-dependant phase of AMI and its determinants in adults., Methods: Questionnaire survey was conducted among a random sample of 942 men (48%) and women (52%) aged 63.50 ± 6.50 selected from population registers in Cracow (Poland). Questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to assess knowledge of AMI symptoms. The respondents were further asked about the first thing they would do in response to AMI symptoms, the emergency phone number and whether a doctor advised them about AMI., Results: All suggested AMI symptoms were recognized by 51 (5.4%) respondents. More persons would call an ambulance in response to AMI symptoms in another person than if they appear in themselves (87.4% vs. 74.4%, P = 0.02). Only 644 (68%) participants knew the emergency phone number and 104 (11%) were advised about AMI by their doctors. Such advice was associated with higher rates of knowledge of AMI symptoms and the emergency phone number but not with a declaration of the appropriate reaction to AMI symptoms. Participants after AMI did not represent better knowledge of a patient-dependant phase of AMI but paradoxically less frequently than other persons declared calling an ambulance in response to AMI symptoms., Conclusion: Improvement in knowledge and attitudes related to a patient-dependant phase of AMI is needed in adults even if they experienced AMI before. A routine advice from a doctor may contribute significantly to this improvement.

Objective: Heart pathology strongly influences the course and prognosis of patients with generalized autoimmune diseases. In spite of autoimmunity being a common denominator of these diseases, systemic sclerosis (SSc), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and dermato/polymyositis (DPM) differ significantly in the pathogenesis of organ damage. The aim of the study was to compare pathologic changes in heart structure and function in these diseases by means of standard echocardiography and tissue Doppler (TDE)., Material and Methods: Four groups were examined: 60 SSc, 60 SLE and 15 DPM patients in stable clinical conditions and 30 healthy control subjects. Echocardiography with TDE was performed with the assessment of systolic (S) and diastolic (E) velocities of mitral and tricuspid annuli., Results: Heart in SSc was characterized by significant diastolic left ventricular dysfunction (mitral E 8.61 +/- 2.3 cm/s vs. 12.4 +/- 3.5 cm/s in the control group; P < 0.01) with preserved systolic function (mitral S 7.85 +/- 1.5 cm/s vs. 7.95 +/- 0.9 cm/s in control group; ns). SLE and DPM resulted mainly in pathologic thickening of valvular leaflets and/or pericardium [mitral or aortic leaflets thickened in 38 (63.3%) of SLE patients, 7 (46.7%) of DPM patients; pericardium thickened in 36 (60%) of SLE patients]. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was elevated in SSc (13.8 +/- 3.5 mmHg) and DPM (13.2 +/- 2.5 mmHg) patients as compared to the control group (9.2 +/- 3.7 mmHg, P < 0.01). Right ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction was frequent irrespective of the presence or absence of pulmonary hypertension., Conclusions: Echocardiography with TDE reveals characteristic pathology in different forms of generalized autoimmune diseases reflecting their different pathogenetic mechanisms. Overproduction of collagen in SSc results in diastolic left ventricular dysfunction, while generalized inflammation in SLE and DPM leads mainly to pathologic changes on valvular leaflets and/or pericardium. Interestingly, right ventricular dysfunction is common in all diseases analyzed, regardless of the presence of pulmonary hypertension. Echocardiography, preferably with TDE, could add valuable information about usually asymptomatic heart pathology in an individual patient with generalized autoimmune disease.

Aims: To evaluate right-ventricular (RV) function during stress echocardiography (SE) and to assess its relationship with exercise capacity in heart failure (HF) patients., Methods and Results: We included 88 patients aged 60.9 +/- 11.2 years with a mean LVEF of 27.2 +/- 9.5%. The following RV parameters were measured at baseline and peak exercise during semi-supine SE: velocity (IVV) and acceleration during isovolumic contraction (IVA), S', E', A', and ratio of early diastolic tricuspid velocity to E' (E/E') and longitudinal strain and strain rate. Patients were stratified into two groups according to their VO(2peak) values: group 1 (n = 35) with VO(2peak) <14 mL/kg/min and group 2 (n = 53) with VO(2peak) >or=14 mL/kg/min. At rest, all analysed variables were similar in the two groups, but during stress IVV, S', and E' were significantly higher and the E/E' ratio significantly lower in group 2. In broad terms, parameters measured at stress correlated much better with VO(2peak) than parameters assessed at baseline. However, results of multivariable analysis determined that the independent predictors of VO(2peak) were solely the left-ventricular (LV) parameters: E/E' and S'., Conclusions: Right-ventricular function (whether at rest or during stress tests) was not significantly associated with exercise capacity in our patients with HF. In contrast, systolic and, to a greater extent, diastolic LV parameters during the stress tests emerged as the most important indicators linked to exercise capacity in HF.

Aim: To assess changes of systolic function using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) during stress echocardiography and its impact on exercise capacity in heart failure (HF) patients (pts)., Material and Methods: 80 pts (65 male), mean age of 59.3 +/- 10.9 years, NYHA class 1.95 +/- 0.8, left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) 27.2 +/- 9.5 (10-45%). The etiology of HF was ischemic (ICM) in 50 pts and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in 30 pts. Peak myocardial velocity (IVV) and acceleration (IVA) during isovolumic contraction and peak myocardial velocity during ejection phase (S') were measured at baseline and peak exercise during semi-supine stress-echo (20 Watts, 2-min increments). Concurrently peak oxygen uptake (VO(2) peak) was measured., Results: Rest values of analyzed parameters were comparable in groups according to etiology of HF and physical capacity. However, peak stress parameters mainly S' were significantly higher in the DCM group and the group with better VO(2) peak. The best correlation with exercise capacity was S' at peak stress (r = 0.66; p < 0.0001). The most useful parameter for identifying severe exercise intolerance, VO(2) peak < 14 ml/kg/min, was S' with an area under ROC curve of 0.82 +/- 0.05 (95% CI 0.71-0.89). The cutoff of 5.75 cm/s for S' at peak stress showed a sensitivity of 61% with a specificity of 96%., Conclusions: The evaluation of systolic function by means of TDI instead of LVEF shows more clearly that systolic function is at least partly responsible for exercise tolerance in HF. Assessment of echocardiographic systolic parameters at peak stress provides more accurate information about exercise capacity in HF pts.