title: Left ventricular function in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder with autoantibodies to acetylcholine receptors of skeletal muscle. Left ventricular diastolic function was studied with M-mode and Doppler echocardiography in 25 patients with myasthenia and in a group of age- and heart rate-matched control subjects. In the patients, diastolic peak filling rate was reduced by 37%, and Doppler peak early filling velocity (E) was reduced by 12% compared with the control subjects (2.7 +/- 0.7 vs 4.2 +/- 1.0 s-1, and 76 +/- 8 vs 85 +/- 15 cm/s, respectively; p less than 0.05). Peak atrial filling velocity (A) was increased by 38% (68 +/- 17 vs 48 +/- 9 cm/s; p less than 0.01), and consequently the E:A ratio in the group of patients was reduced by 33% (1.22 +/- 0.40 vs 1.81 +/- 0.33; p less than 0.001). End-diastolic dimension was 5.0 +/- 0.5 cm in both groups, heart rate was 70 +/- 12 vs 68 +/- 16 beats/min (p = not significant [NS]), M-mode ejection fraction was 76 +/- 8 vs 79 +/- 5% (p = NS), M-mode peak ejection rate was -1.9 +/- 0.4 vs -2.1 +/- 0.3 s-1 (p = NS), and peak aortic outflow velocity was 109 +/- 18 vs 98 +/- 13 cm/s (p = NS). Twenty-three patients and 15 control subjects were studied before and after intake of the acetylcholine-esterase inhibitor pyridostigmine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Haukeland Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Johannessen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mygland
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gilhus
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aarli
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vik-Mo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000494:pharmacology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide