title: Comparative study of pulmonary circulation and myocardial function in patients with β-thalassemia intermedia with and without hydroxyurea, a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare myocardial systolic and diastolic functions and pulmonary circulation by two-dimensional, M-mode, Doppler, and pulsed tissue Doppler imaging in patients with β-thalassemia intermedia who received hydroxyurea at least for 1 yr, patients who did not receive hydroxyurea, and a healthy control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assigned 84 patients with thalassemia intermedia into two groups: one of two was treated with hydroxyurea for at least 1 yr and no hydroxyurea. M-mode echocardiographic, Doppler, and pulsed Doppler tissue images were compared in these two groups and in 20 control participants who did not have thalassemia. For the estimation of pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary acceleration time below 100 ms was considered as an index of pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in M-mode echocardiographic findings between three groups. Doppler echocardiography detected no significant differences between the treated and untreated groups. In treated hydroxyurea group, 11.7% patients had pulmonary acceleration time below 100 ms and in untreated group 21% (LR = 1.45, P = 0.22). Pulsed Doppler tissue imaging parameters did not differ significantly between treated and untreated patients (P > 0.05). Pulsed Doppler tissue images showed significant changes between patients and controls in peak systolic velocity of the septum, peak atrial velocity of the septum (Aas), the peak systolic velocity of the tricuspid valve (St), the peak early diastolic velocity of the tricuspid valve (Eat), and the peak late diastolic velocity of the tricuspid valve (Aat).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that in spite of decrease in estimated pulmonary hypertension in treated group, HU has no statistically significant effect on pulmonary acceleration time and M-mode, Doppler, and tissue Doppler changes of patients with TI.
authors: Cardiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Hamid
authors: H
authors: Amoozgar
authors: Nahal
authors: N
authors: Farhani
authors: Neda
authors: N
authors: Khodadadi
authors: Mehran
authors: M
authors: Karimi
authors: Sirous
authors: S
authors: Cheriki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006918:Hydroxyurea