Tricuspid annular and septal Doppler tissue velocities are reduced in pediatric heart transplant recipients without acute rejection.
BACKGROUND
We sought to determine any differences between myocardial velocities in healthy children and pediatric heart transplant recipients without acute allograft rejection and to study the clinical factors that could alter these velocities.


METHODS
Fifty-eight pediatric heart transplant recipients without rejection and 27 healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) was performed at the tricuspid annulus, septum, and mitral annulus. The influence of the following factors on DTI was assessed: time since transplant, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, systemic hypertension, graft atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, donor heart ischemic time, and previous rejection.


RESULTS
The mean tricuspid annular and septal tissue velocities were significantly reduced in the transplant group compared with controls. The mitral annular velocities were similar in the two groups. Donor heart ischemic time and previous rejection significantly altered DTI velocities.


CONCLUSIONS
Tricuspid annular and septal Doppler tissue velocities are significantly reduced in pediatric heart transplant recipients without allograft rejection and can be altered by prolonged donor heart ischemic time and previous rejection.
Sachdeva
Ritu
R
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Arkansas Children's Hospital, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, USA. sachdevaritu@uams.edu
Malik
Sadia
S
Bornemeier
Renee A
RA
Frazier
Elizabeth A
EA
Cleves
Mario A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014180:Transplantation; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D014463:Ultrasonography