Abstract 2910: Echocardiographic Indices For Diastolic Function Correlate to With The Collagen Content From Endomyocardial Biopsies In Patients With Heart Failure And Normal Ejection Fraction

Abstract

Background: Morphologic charactheristics of the ventricle can influence the LV stiffness and therefore its diastolic function. We correlated diastolic parameters with collagen content from the endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) in the patients with heart failure and normal EF. Method: We investigated 24 patients (51 ±10 years) with normal EF (65 ±8) and heart failure symptoms, whose endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) were previously taken. Patients with coronary artery disease, valvular disease or atrial fibrillation were excluded. Total collagen content was determined using Sirius red staining. Collagen subtypes I and III were determined by standard immunohistochemistry methods in 19 patients. Assessment of diastolic function was performed by conventional Doppler (E/A, DT, IVRT), tissue Doppler measurements (E’/A’) and LV filling index E/E’. Results: Tissue Doppler parameters E’/A’ and E/E’ correlated strong with collagen content (r=-0.52, p=0.028 and r=0.50, p=0.040 respectively) and with collagen subtype I (r=-0.68, p=0.015 and r=0.66, p=0.018), whereas E/A (r= -0.34, p=0.078 and r=-0.28, p=0.268) and DT (r=0.22, p=0.093 and r=0.21, p=0.211) did not reach a statistical significance. Relaxation index IVRT correlated with collagen subtype I (r=0.62, p=0.014). Conclusion: Of all parameters tissue Doppler and LV filling index E/E’ correlated best with increased collagen content of endomyocardial biopsies in patients with heart failure and normal EF indicating induced cardiac remodelling process in those patients.