Aortic distensibility measured by pulse-wave velocity is not modified in patients with Chagas' disease.
BACKGROUND
Experimental studies demonstrate that infection with trypanosoma cruzi causes vasculitis. The inflammatory lesion process could hypothetically lead to decreased distensibility of large and small arteries in advanced Chagas' disease. We tested this hypothesis.


RESULTS
We evaluated carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (PWV) in 53 Chagas' disease patients compared with 31 healthy volunteers (control group). The 53 patients were classified into 3 groups: 1) 16 with indeterminate form of Chagas' disease; 2) 18 with Chagas' disease, electrocardiographic abnormalities, and normal systolic function; 3) 19 with Chagas' disease, systolic dysfunction, and mild-to-moderate congestive heart failure. No difference was noted between the 4 groups regarding carotid-femoral PWV (8.4 +/- 1.1 vs 8.2 +/- 1.5 vs 8.2 +/- 1.4 vs 8.7 +/- 1.6 m/s, P = 0.6) or pulse pressure (39.5 +/- 7.6 vs 39.3 +/- 8.1 vs 39.5 +/- 7.4 vs 39.7 +/- 6.9 mm Hg, P = 0.9). A positive, significant, similar correlation occurred between PWV and age in patients with Chagas' disease (r = 0.42, P = 0.002), in controls (r = 0.48, P = 0.006), and also between PWV and systolic blood pressure in both groups (patients with Chagas' disease, r = 0.38, P = 0.005; healthy subjects, r = 0.36, P = 0.043).


CONCLUSIONS
Carotid femoral pulse-wave velocity is not modified in patients with Chagas' disease, suggesting that elastic properties of large arteries are not affected in this disorder.
Villacorta
Humberto
H
Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. huvillacorta@globo.com
Bortolotto
Luiz Aparecido
LA
Arteaga
Edmundo
E
Mady
Charles
C
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000502:physiology