title: Elastic properties of ascending aorta in women with previous pregnancy complicated by early- or late-onset pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the elastic properties of the ascending aorta in women with a previous pregnancy complicated by early-onset (EO) or late-onset (LO) pre-eclampsia (PE) and the correlation with gestational age (GA), systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) and mean uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) at diagnosis of the disease as well as with birth weight of the neonate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty women who had a previous pregnancy complicated by EO-PE, 30 with a previous pregnancy complicated by LO-PE and 30 normal controls were selected retrospectively from our electronic database and then recalled for assessment from 6 months to 4 years after delivery. Data regarding GA, SBP/DBP and mean UtA-PI at the diagnosis of PE were obtained from medical records. At our assessment, aortic M-mode and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters were measured. Aortic diameters were assessed at end-diastole at four levels: Valsalva sinuses, sinotubular junction, tubular tract and aortic arch. Aortic compliance, distensibility, stiffness index (SI), Peterson's elastic modulus (EM), pulse-wave velocity and M-mode strain were calculated using standard formulae. Aortic expansion velocity, early and late diastolic retraction velocities and peak systolic tissue strain (TDI-ϵ) were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aortic diameters at the four levels were significantly greater in both EO-PE and LO-PE groups than in controls. Aortic compliance and distensibility and TDI-ϵ were lower in EO-PE than in LO-PE (P  = 0.001, P  = 0.002 and P  = 0.011, respectively) and controls (P  = 0.037, P  = 0.044 and P  = 0.013, respectively). SI and EM were higher in EO-PE than in LO-PE (P  = 0.001 and P  < 0.001, respectively) and than in controls (P = 0.035 and P  = 0.036, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed GA, DBP and UtA-PI at diagnosis of PE to be independent predictors of aortic elastic properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elastic properties of the ascending aorta were altered in women with a previous pregnancy complicated by EO-PE, but not in those with LO-PE. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orabona
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sciatti
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vizzardi
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonadei
authors.affiliation: Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valcamonico
authors.affiliation: Section of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metra
authors.affiliation: Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frusca
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology
keywords: aortic stiffness; aortic strain; echocardiography; pre-eclampsia; tissue Doppler imaging