title: Early detection of cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis assessed by tissue-Doppler echocardiography: relationship with neurohormonal activation and endothelial dysfunction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cardiopulmonary complications are common in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). We assessed cardiac involvement in patients with SSc using echocardiography and investigated the association of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) with echocardiographic measures of myocardial function in sera of patients with SSc who had no symptoms of heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied 52 patients with SSc (mean age 55.7 +/- 10.1 yrs, 51 women), with conventional and tissue-Doppler echocardiography. Plasma NT-proBNP and ADMA levels were measured in all patients. Data were compared with those obtained from 25 healthy controls comparable for age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with SSc had impaired left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular diastolic function expressed by inverted ratio of peak early to peak late transmitral (Mit E/A) and transtricuspid velocity and increased left atrial diameter compared with controls. Peak systolic mitral lateral annular motion velocity and peak early diastolic mitral lateral annular motion velocity (LV Em) were lower, while LV E/Em ratio was higher, in patients with SSc compared to controls. ADMA was significantly related with LV Em and E/Em ratio. NT-proBNP was associated with Mit E, Mit E/A ratio and mitral deceleration time. Significant correlation was also observed between NT-proBNP and ADMA levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depressed cardiac function is common, even in asymptomatic patients with SSc. NT-proBNP and ADMA are significantly correlated with echocardiographic abnormalities, providing a potent link for cardiac function, neuroendocrine derangement, and endothelial dysfunction in patients with SSc who have cardiac disease.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. dimitroul@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dimitroulas
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giannakoulas
authors.forename: Klio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papadopoulou
authors.forename: Haralambos
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karvounis
authors.forename: Hara
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dimitroula
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koliakos
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karamitsos
authors.forename: Despoina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parcharidou
authors.forename: Loukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Settas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine