title: [Evaluation of right ventricular function by quantitative tissue velocity imaging and tissue tracking imaging in neonates with congenital hypothyroidism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although several reports documented the association of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and left ventricular (LV) function in infants or neonates, right ventricular (RV) function in neonates with CH has not been previously studied. The aim of the present study was to assess RV function in neonates with CH before and after thyroxine substitution therapy by quantitative tissue velocity imaging (QTVI) and tissue tracking imaging (TTI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two neonates aged 18-28 days (25 males and 27 females) with CH and 35 healthy neonates aged 18-28 days (16 males and 19 females) were studied by QTVI, TTI as well as conventional pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiography (PWD). The standard apical four-chamber view for long-axis motion of the right ventricle was used for echocardiographic evaluation. Peak systolic displacement (D), peak systolic velocity (Vs), peak early (Ve) and late (Va) diastolic velocity of tricuspid annule were measured, Ve/Va ratio was calculated as well. Transtricuspid flow velocity during early diastole (E) and late diastole (A) were also measured by pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiography. PWD and E/A ratio were calculated too. For each neonate, serum hormone levels of TSH, TT(3), TT(4), FT(3) and FT(4) were measured with a standard chemiluminescent immunoassay. After 1 month of levothyroxine (L-T(4)) substitution therapy in CH neonates, all the echocardiographic evaluations and biochemical tests were re-evaluated. Correlation analysis was also made between serum thyroid hormones levels and right ventricular function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The indices of right ventricular diastolic function by PWD (E and E/A ratio) in CH group were (45 +/- 10) cm/s and (0.8 +/- 0.3), respectively. Compared with controls, E and E/A ratio in CH neonates were significantly lower (P < 0.001, respectively), while A did not differ between the two groups (P > 0.05). QTVI and TTI showed that right diastolic function (Ve and Ve/Va ratio) as well as right systolic function (Vs and D) in CH group were (3.69 +/- 1.38) cm/s, (0.74 +/- 0.19) cm/s, (4.38 +/- 0.63) cm/s and (0.52 +/- 0.12) cm, respectively. CH neonates had significantly lower Ve, Ve/Va ratio, Vs and D of tricuspid annular velocity (P < 0.001, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference in Va between the two groups (P > 0.05). After 1 month of substitutive therapy, CH neonates showed a significant increase of Ve, Ve/Va ratio, Vs, D, E, and E/A ratio, (6.92 +/- 1.86) cm/s, (1.13 +/- 0.22), (5.92 +/- 1.03) cm/s, (0.78 +/- 0.17) cm, (61 +/- 10) cm/s and (1.1 +/- 0.4), respectively (P < 0.001). Those parameters were positively correlated with serum TT(3), TT(4), FT(3) and FT(4) levels (P < 0.01, respectively), and were negatively correlated with serum TSH levels (P < 0.01, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that neonates with CH are associated with right ventricular subclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction, which can be reversed by early L-T(4) substitution therapy. QTVI and TTI are valuable methods to evaluate right ventricular function in neonates. Systolic and diastolic velocities of the tricuspid annulus measured by QTVI and TTI are useful and accurate to assess RV function in neonates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Shan-shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Jing-jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Guo-ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zheng-yan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine