title: Abnormal left ventricular mechanics in isolated bicuspid aortic valve disease may be independent of aortic distensibility: 2D strain imaging study.
abstract: In this study, we hypothesized that subclinical impairment of left ventricular (LV) mechanical function in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients is independent of valvular hemodynamics represented by valvuloarterial impedance and aortic elastic characteristics. Therefore, we aimed to test left ventricular mechanics in cases of isolated non-stenotic BAV with non-dilated aorta.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with isolated BAV exhibiting non-dilated aorta, and 25 age-and gender-matched healthy subjects were included in the study. Patients with aortic valve velocity > 1.5 m/s and mild-to-moderate aortic regurgitation or ascending aorta diameter > 3.5 cm were excluded from the study. Aortic elasticity parameters and valvulo-arterial impedance were calculated. Strain measurements were reported as the peak longitudinal strain (LS) for four chamber (4C), long axis (LAX) and two chamber (2C) views. Strain rate (Sr) measurements were reported as the peak systolic strain rate (Sr-sm), early diastolic strain rate (Sr-em) and late diastolic strain rate (Sr-am) for 4C, LAX and 2C views.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systolic and diastolic diameters of the ascending aorta, aortic elastic properties (aortic strain, aortic distensibility, aortic stiffness and aortic elastic modulus), and valvulo-arterial impedances were found to be comparable between the BAV and control groups. BAV group was observed to have statistically significantly lower 4C (18.9 +/- 1.7 vs. 17.8 +/- 1.5, p = 0.02), LAX (19.7 +/- 1.7 vs. 17.7 +/- 1.3, p = 0.001) and 2C (20.1 +/- 1.8 vs. 17.7 +/- 1.2, p < 0.001) peak longitudinal strain values compared with the control group. Moreover, LV-GS values were found to be significantly lower in the BAV group than in the control group (19.6 +/- 1.1 vs. 17.7 +/- 0.9, p < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of Sr-sm, Sr-em ve Sr-am values in the 4C, LAX, and 2C views.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BAV might affect LV systolic functions, assessed by 2D strain imaging, in a fashion independent from the valvular dynamics and aortic elasticity. This might show that BAV is not only a valvular disease, but possibly a ventricular disease as well.
authors.affiliation: Mutafa Kemal University Medical School, Department of Cardiology, Hatay, Turkey. mustafakurt@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Ibrahim Halil
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Tanboga
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bilen
authors.forename: Turgay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isik
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Mehmet Fatih
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Karakaş
authors.forename: Eyup
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Büyükkaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D000082882:Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D055815:Young Adult