title: Assessment of left ventricular function and Tei index by tissue Doppler imaging in patients with slow coronary flow.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess left ventricular (LV) function and the Tei index by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and also to evaluate the relationship of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (TFC) with the Tei index and LV function in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF).
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively evaluated 50 patients with SCF and 27 control subjects. Diagnosis of SCF was made by TFC. LV systolic and diastolic function was assessed by conventional echocardiography and TDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early diastolic mitral annular velocity (Em), Em/Am, and peak systolic mitral annular velocity (Sm) were lower in patients with SCF than those in controls (13+/-2.8 cm/sec vs 15.2+/-2.8 cm/sec, P = 0.002; 0.88+/-0.22 vs 1+/-0.23, P = 0.03; and 14.1+/-3.51 vs 16.5+/-3.31, P = 0.005, respectively). In patients with SCF, the Tei index was significantly higher than that in controls (0.34+/-9.6 vs 0.29+/-9.5, P = 0.02, respectively). Mean TFC and RCA TFC were positively correlated with the Tei index (r = 0.3, P = 0.02 and r = 0.329, P = 0.02). Left circumflex (LCX) TFC was negatively correlated with Em/Am (r =-0.310, P = 0.03) only in patients with SCF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LV systolic and diastolic function is impaired in patients with SCF. TDI analysis of mitral annular velocities such as the Tei index, Em, Em/Am, and Sm is useful to assess LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction in patients with SCF. Mean TFC and RCA TFC were positively correlated with the Tei index and LCX TFC was negatively correlated with Em/Am. TDI may be better than conventional echocardiography in assessing LV function in patients with SCF.
authors.affiliation: KTU Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Trabzon,Turkey. merihbaykan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baykan
authors.forename: Emre Cumhur
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Baykan
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gedikli
authors.forename: Sahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Abdulkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiriş
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Durmuş
authors.forename: Sükrü
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Celik
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*