Evaluation of cardiac beta-adrenergic receptor function in children by dobutamine stress echocardiography.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of dobutamine stress echocardiography in evaluating cardiac beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) function and responsiveness in children.


METHODS
Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), left ventricular end systolic volume index (ESVI), the ratio of systolic blood pressure and ESVI (SP/ESVI) were measured by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in 30 children with beta-AR hypersensitivity, 15 children with dilated cardiomyopathy and 30 normal children respectively.


RESULTS
Before pharmacological stress, EF and FS were 0.72 and 0.39 respectively in beta-AR hypersensitivity group versus 0.70 and 0.35 respectively in control group. There was no difference of the indices between the two groups (P > 0.05). SP/ESVI was 0.76, higher than the value of 0.66 in control group (P < 0.05); EF, FS and SP/ESVI were 0.41, 0.15 and 0.10 respectively, which were significantly lower than those in control group. After dobutamine stress of 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 and 10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, EF, FS and SP/ESVI were significantly increased in patients with beta-AR hypersensitivity and there were no changes in children with dilated cardiomyopathy compared with values of baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac beta-AR function and responsiveness can be evaluated by dobutamine stress echocardiography.
Zeng
H
H
Department of Pediatrics, First Teaching Hospital of Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100034, China.
Li
W
W
Li
Y
Y
Ma
Y
Y
Du
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004280:Dobutamine; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism*
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D004280:Dobutamine