Assessment of global, segmental longitudinal deformation of the left ventricle and endothelial function in children with family hypercholesterolemia

Abstract

Background . Familial hypercholesterolemia (FHC) is accompanied by a significant increase in the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood . The relevance of early diagnosis and treatment is due to the risk of premature development of atherosclerosis . Coronary heart disease due to atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries occurs among FHC patients up to 30 years . Currently , cardiac morphology and myocardial function in children with FHC are poorly understood . Objective . To assess global , segmental longitudinal deformation of the left ventricle and endothelial function in children with familial hypercholesterolemia . Design and methods . The study involved 25 healthy children and 34 children with FHC. Endothelin-1 and NO were determined by enzyme immunoassay . Echocardiographic study was carried . Assessment of global and segmental longitudinal deformation of the left ventricle was carried out in 4-chamber apical , 3-chamber and 2-chamber projections . Results . There were no statistically significant differences in global longitudinal strain (GLD) between groups . Individual analysis showed that 2 patients with FHC had a decrease in GLD. There was a statistically significant decrease in parameters in FHC patients at the level of the basal and apical anterior-septal , basal lower segments . Endothelin-1 and NO were increased in FHC compared to the control group . Conclusion . Speckle-tracking echocardiography allowed identifying patients with a decrease in global and segmental longitudinal deformation of the left ventricle among children with FHC.