Coronary sinus thermography in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: correlation with systemic inflammation and left ventricular contractility.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have demonstrated that patients with heart failure have increased myocardial heat production. Coronary sinus (CS) thermography is a new method for the evaluation of left ventricular heat production.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether the CS blood temperature is increased in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) compared to a control group and whether the CS blood temperature correlates with ejection fraction and systemic inflammatory activation.


RESULTS
We included 25 patients with DCM and 22 healthy subjects. Temperature measurements were performed using a new thermography catheter. Temperature difference (DeltaT) was defined as the difference between the CS and RA blood temperature. The CRP levels were also measured. DeltaT was significantly greater in patients with DCM compared to the controls (0.25+/-0.09 vs 0.14+/-0.07 degrees C, p<0.01). DeltaT and EF were inversely correlated in patients with DCM (R=0.43). We categorized patients with DCM into two groups using a CRP cut-off value of < or =1 mg/dL. DeltaT in patients with high CRP was less (0.21+/-0.06 degrees C) compared to patients with low CRP (0.30+/-0.08 degrees C, p=0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with DCM increased heat production from the myocardium, as estimated from the coronary sinus blood temperature, was demonstrated, interestingly there was no correlation with systemic inflammatory activation.
Toutouzas
Konstantinos
K
First Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. ktoutouz@otenet.gr
Stougiannos
Pavlos
P
Drakopoulou
Maria
M
Mitropoulos
John
J
Bosinakou
Eirini
E
Markou
Virginia
V
Latsios
George
G
Karabelas
Ioannis
I
Stefanadi
Elli
E
Stefanadis
Christodoulos
C
D001831:Body Temperature; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013817:Thermography