title: Left atrial dysfunction detected by speckle tracking in patients with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac involvement is a relevant clinical finding in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is associated with poor prognosis. Left atrial (LA) remodeling and/or dysfunction can be an early sign of diastolic dysfunction. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a novel and promising tool for detecting very early changes in LA myocardial performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether STE strain parameters may detect early alterations in LA function in SSc patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two SSc patients (Group 1, age 50 ± 14 years, 95% females) without clinical evidence for cardiac involvement and 42 age- and gender-matched control subjects (Group 2, age 49 ± 13 years, 95% females) were evaluated with comprehensive 2D and Doppler echocardiography, including tissue Doppler imaging analysis. Positive peak left atrial longitudinal strain (ϵ pos peak), second positive left atrial longitudinal strain (sec ϵ pos peak), and negative left atrial longitudinal strain (ϵ neg peak) were measured using a 12-segment model for the LA, by commercially available semi-automated 2D speckle-tracking software (EchoPac PC version 108.1.4, GE Healthcare, Horten, Norway).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All SSc patients had a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (63.1 ± 4%). SSc patients did not differ from controls in E/A (Group 1 = 1.1 ± 0.4 vs Group 2 = 1.3 ± 0.4, p = .14) or pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (Group 1 = 24.1 ± 8 mmHg vs Group 2 = 21 ± 7 mmHg, p = .17). SSc patients did not show significantly different indexed LA volumes (Group 1 = 24.9 ± 5.3 ml/m2 vs Group 2 = 24.7 ± 4.4 ml/m2, p = .8), whereas E/e' ratio was significantly higher in SSc (Group 1 = 7.6 ± 2.4 vs Group 2 = 6.5 ± 1.7, p<0.05), although still within normal values. LA strain values were significantly different between the two groups (ϵ pos peak Group 1 = 31.3 ± 4.2% vs Group 2 = 35.0 ± 7.6%, p < .01, sec ϵ pos peak Group 1 = 18.4 ± 4 vs Group 2 = 21.4 ± 7.6, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  2D speckle-tracking echocardiography is a sensitive tool to assess impairment of LA mechanics, which is detectable in absence of changes in LA size and volume, and may represent an early sign of cardiac involvement in patients with SSc.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Medicine and Cardiology Center, University of Szeged, Korányi Fasor 6, 6720 Szeged, Hungary. drgergoagoston@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agoston
authors.forename: Luna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gargani
authors.forename: Marcelo Haertel
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Miglioranza
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: Luigi Paolo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Badano
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreo
authors.forename: Denisa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muraru
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondillo
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moggi Pignone
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matucci Cerinic
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sicari
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Picano
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varga
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
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