Left atrial function in patients with renal transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Chronic renal failure leads to structural changes and cardiac functional abnormalities known as uremic cardiomyopathy. Eliminating excess water and improving the composition of the inner environment leads to at least partial cardiac function improvement, which is reflected primarily in favorable changes in left ventricular indices. The aim of our study was to evaluate left atrial function in patients after renal transplantation and compare them with clinically healthy subjects.


METHODS
10 renal transplant patients (2 women, 8 men; mean age 47.8 +/- 6.4 years), treated before transplantation with repeated hemodialysis, were subjected to standard transthoracic echocardiographic examination. Atrial function was evaluated in M-mode and 2D projections and by cross-sectional Doppler echocardiography. The results obtained were compared with 16 healthy controls (9 women, 7 men; mean age 39.7 +/- 9.4 years).


RESULTS
Maximal left atrial dimension (LAmax), left atrial dimension obtained in M-mode of the long axis in parasternal projection (LAa), ejection time (ETlp) and pre-ejection period (PEPlp) were significantly higher in renal transplant patients than in healthy subjects. In both investigated groups there were no differences in minimal left atrial dimensions (LAmin), PEPlp/Etlp ratio, P wave time (P), left atrial fiber shortening fraction (FS%lp), passive evacuate fraction (FBOlp), total left atrial fraction (FClp), or IElp ratio.


CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal function of the left atrium in the course of uremia treated with repeated hemodialysis is not fully corrected after renal transplantation despite the elimination of many cardiovascular complications observed in chronic renal disease.
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Internal Medicine, Military Medical University, Łodź, Poland.
Jacek
J
Rysz
Aleksander
A
Goch
Radosław
R
Wilk
Tomasz
T
Grycewicz
Marek
M
Luciak
Jan Henryk
JH
Goch
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis