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Abecasis J, Lopes P, Maltes S, Santos RR, Ferreira A, Ribeiras R, Andrade MJ, Uva MS, Gil V, Félix A, Ramos S, Cardim N. Histopathological myocardial changes in patients with severe aortic stenosis referred for surgical valve replacement: a cardiac magnetic resonance correlation study. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2024; 25:839-848. [PMID: 38246861 DOI: 10.1093/ehjci/jeae023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Myocardial fibrosis (MF) takes part in left ventricular (LV) remodelling in patients with aortic stenosis (AS), driving the transition from hypertrophy to heart failure. The structural changes that occur in this transition are not fully enlightened. The aim of this study was to describe histopathological changes at endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in patients with severe AS referred to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) and to correlate them with LV tissue characterization from pre-operative cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS AND RESULTS One-hundred fifty-eight patients [73 (68-77) years, 50% women] were referred for surgical AVR because of severe symptomatic AS, with pre-operative CMR (n = 143) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), T1, T2 mapping, and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) quantification. Intra-operative septal EMB was obtained in 129 patients. MF was assessed through Masson's Trichrome histochemistry. Immunohistochemistry was performed for both inflammatory cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) characterization (Type I Collagen, Fibronectin, Tenascin C). Non-ischaemic LGE was present in 106 patients (67.1%) [median fraction: 5.0% (2.0-9.7)]. Native T1 was above normal [1053 ms (1024-1071)] and T2 within the normal range [39.3 ms (37.3-42.0)]. Median MF was 11.9% (6.54-19.97), with predominant type I collagen perivascular distribution (95.3%). Sub-endocardial cardiomyocyte ischaemic-like changes were identified in 45% of EMB. There was no inflammation, despite ECM remodelling expression. MF quantification at EMB was correlated with LGE mass (P = 0.008) but not with global ECV (P = 0.125). CONCLUSION Patients with severe symptomatic AS referred for surgical AVR have unspecific histological myocardial changes, including signs of cardiomyocyte ischaemic insult. ECM remodelling is ongoing, with MF heterogeneity. These features may be recognized by comprehensive CMR protocols. However, no single CMR parameter captures the burden of MF and histological myocardial changes in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Abecasis
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
- Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pedro Lopes
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sergio Maltes
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | | | - Regina Ribeiras
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Miguel Sousa Uva
- Cardiac Surgery Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Victor Gil
- Hospital da Luz, Lisboa, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Católica, Lisboa
| | - Ana Félix
- Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal
- Pathology Department, IPOFG, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sancia Ramos
- Pathology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
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Abecasis J, Maltês S, Santos RR, Lopes P, Manso RT, Gil V, Cardim N, Ramos S, Félix A. Subendocardial "ischemic-like" state in patients with severe aortic stenosis: Insights from myocardial histopathology and ultrastructure. Cardiovasc Pathol 2024; 69:107589. [PMID: 38029890 DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2023.107589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Myocardial adaptation to severe aortic stenosis (AS) is a complex process that involves myocardial fibrosis (MF) beyond cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Perfusion impairment is believed to be involved in myocardial remodeling in chronic pressure overload. AIM To describe morphological and ultrastructural myocardial changes at endomyocardial tissue sampling, possibly reflecting subendocardial ischemia, in a group of patients with severe AS referred to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR), with no previous history of ischemic cardiomyopathy. METHODS One-hundred-fifty-eight patients (73 [68-77] years, 50% women) referred for surgical AVR because of severe symptomatic AS with preoperative clinical and imaging study and no previous history of ischemic cardiomyopathy. Intra-operative septal endomyocardial sampling was obtained in 129 patients. Tissue sections were stained with Masson´s Trichrome for MF quantification and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was performed to assess the presence of intracellular glycogen. Ultrastructure was analyzed through Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS MF totalized a median fraction of 11.90% (6.54-19.97%) of EMB, with highly prevalent perivascular involvement (95.3%). None of the samples had histological evidence of myocardial infarction. In 58 patients (45%) we found subendocardial groups of cardiomyocytes with cytoplasmatic enlargement, vacuolization and myofiber derangement, surrounded by extensive interstitial fibrosis. These cardiomyocytes were PAS positive, PAS-diastase resistant and Alcian Blue/PAS indicative of the presence of neutral intracellular glyco-saccharides. At TEM there were signs of cardiomyocyte degeneration with sarcomere disorganization and reduction, organelle rarefaction but no signs of intracellular specific accumulation. CONCLUSION Almost half of the patients with severe AS referred for surgical AVR have histological and ultrastructural signs of subendocardial cardiomyocyte ischemic insult. It might be inferred that local perfusion imbalance contributes to myocardial remodeling and fibrosis in chronic pressure overload.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Abecasis
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal; Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Sergio Maltês
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Pedro Lopes
- Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Victor Gil
- Hospital da Luz, Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Católica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Sancia Ramos
- Pathology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Félix
- Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal; Pathology Department, IPOFG, Lisboa, Portugal
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Abecasis J, Gomes Pinto D, Ramos S, Masci PG, Cardim N, Gil V, Félix A. Left Ventricular Remodeling in Degenerative Aortic Valve Stenosis. Curr Probl Cardiol 2021; 46:100801. [PMID: 33588124 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2021.100801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Aortic stenosis was once considered a pure isolated valve obstacle challenging left ventricle driving force of contraction and flow generation. Left ventricular (LV) adaptation was merely interpreted as a uniform hypertrophic response to increased afterload. However, in these last 2 decades cardiac imaging research and some histopathology correlation studies brought insight towards the complex interaction between the vasculature, the valve and the myocardium. Verily, LV remodeling in this setting is a complex multidetermined process that goes further beyond myocardial hypertrophy. Ultrastructural changes involving both diffuse and replacement fibrosis of the myocardium take part and might explain the transition of clinical phenotypes with distinct prognosis, from compensated hypertrophy to LV maladaptive dysfunction and heart failure. Presently, the combined appropriate use of echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance may better assess the global LV afterload, hypertrophy and geometric remodeling, global and regional LV function, beyond ejection fraction, and structural changes that include the fibrotic burden of the myocardium. As a whole these may not only better stratify individual risk of disease progression but also identify patients benefiting from earlier valve intervention. In this paper, we review the maladaptive response of the LV to chronic pressure overload, describing the different signaling pathways and mechanisms that underly both hypertrophy and remodeling. Histomorphology changes in this setting are described and we try to make sense of the use of new imaging tools for LV characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Abecasis
- Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal; Cardiology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisboa, Portugal; Cardiology Department, Hospital dos Lusíadas, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Daniel Gomes Pinto
- Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal; Pathology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sância Ramos
- Pathology Department, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
| | | | - Nuno Cardim
- Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal; Hospital da Luz, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Victor Gil
- Cardiology Department, Hospital dos Lusíadas, Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Félix
- Nova Medical School, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
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Lanier GM, Fallon JT, Naidu SS. Role of Advanced Testing: Invasive Hemodynamics, Endomyocardial Biopsy, and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing. Cardiol Clin 2018; 37:73-82. [PMID: 30447718 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccl.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects 0.5% of the population. Advanced testing is considered, including cardiac catheterization, endomyocardial biopsy, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Right and left heart catheterization provides essential hemodynamic data, identifies patients who might benefit from septal reduction therapy, and assesses for comorbidities. Pathologic analysis reveals ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial disarray, and endocardial and interstitial fibrosis. Routine endomyocardial biopsy is not recommended unless other conditions that cause hypertrophy need to be ruled out. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing provides useful physiologic data, allows monitoring of the response to medication and surgical interventions, estimates prognosis, and guides referral for orthotopic heart transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg M Lanier
- Pulmonary Hypertension Program, Heart Failure, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, 100 Woods Road, Macy Pavilion Room 110, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
| | - John T Fallon
- Department of Clinical Laboratories and Pathology, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, 100 Woods Road, Macy Pavilion Room 106, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Srihari S Naidu
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, 100 Woods Road, Macy Pavilion Room 106, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
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