Cardiac resynchronization therapy homogenizes myocardial glucose metabolism and perfusion in dilated cardiomyopathy and left bundle branch block.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) affects myocardial glucose metabolism and perfusion in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and left bundle branch block (LBBB).


BACKGROUND
Patients with DCM and LBBB present with asynchronous left ventricular (LV) activation, leading to reduced septal glucose metabolism. Cardiac resynchronization therapy recoordinates LV activation, but its effects on myocardial glucose metabolism and perfusion remain unknown.


METHODS
In 15 patients (10 females; 61 +/- 13 years) with DCM and LBBB (QRS width 165 +/- 15 ms), gated (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography were performed before and after two weeks of CRT. Uptake of FDG and (99m)Tc-sestamibi was determined in four LV wall areas. Ejection fraction and volumes were calculated from gated PET.


RESULTS
Baseline FDG uptake was heterogeneous (p < 0.0001), with lowest uptake in the septal region (56 +/- 12%) and highest uptake in the lateral region (89 +/- 6%). During CRT, septal and anterior increases (p < 0.01) and lateral decreases (p < 0.01) resulted in homogeneously distributed glucose metabolism. Baseline heterogeneity (p < 0.0001) in (99m)Tc-sestamibi uptake was modest (lowest septal 65 +/- 10%; maximum lateral 84 +/- 5%) and also reduced with CRT, although some heterogeneity (p < 0.05) remained. The septal-to-lateral ratio increased with CRT for FDG (0.62 +/- 0.12 to 0.91 +/- 0.26, p < 0.001) and (99m)Tc-sestamibi uptake (0.77 +/- 0.13 to 0.85 +/- 0.16, p < 0.01). The LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes decreased from 293 +/- 160 to 272 +/- 158 ml (p < 0.05) and from 244 +/- 164 to 220 +/- 160 ml (p < 0.01), respectively. Ejection fraction increased from 22 +/- 12% to 25 +/- 13% (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Glucose metabolism is reduced more than perfusion in the septal compared with LV lateral wall in patients with DCM and LBBB. Cardiac resynchronization therapy restores homogeneous myocardial glucose metabolism with less influence on perfusion.
Department ofNuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Aachen University of Technology, Aachen, Germany. bnowak@ukaachen.de
Bernd
B
Nowak
Anil M
AM
Sinha
Wolfgang M
WM
Schaefer
Karl-Christian
KC
Koch
Hans-Juergen
HJ
Kaiser
Peter
P
Hanrath
Udalrich
U
Buell
Christoph
C
Stellbrink
D000368:Aged; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D005947:Glucose