Atteinte cardiaque de la sclérodermie systémique

Association of cardiac magnetic resonance-detected myocardial abnormalities with disease characteristics and brain natriuretic peptide levels in systemic sclerosis without cardiac symptoms

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the association between myocardial abnormalities and left ventricular (LV) geometry as assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients without cardiac symptoms.

METHODS

SSc patients without cardiac symptoms or cardiovascular risk factors underwent contrast CMRI. CMRI were assessed for structural and functional LV parameters and myocardial fibrosis based on myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). The correlation between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and LGE status was evaluated.

RESULTS

Among 49 patients, 27 (55%) showed LGE positivity. The most common identified LGE pattern was a linear pattern. LGE was not consistent with coronary artery distribution. There was no difference in ejection fraction between those with and without LGE. LV morphological changes were observed in 29% of SSc patients. An abnormal LV structure was detected in 44% and 14% of patients in the LGE+ and LGE- groups, respectively. The BNP levels were higher by 57% in the LGE+ group than in the LGE-group. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that BNP levels reliably detected myocardial abnormalities (area under the curve, 0.72; 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

Myocardial abnormalities were common in SSc patients without cardiac symptoms. We suggest that LV morphological changes may have resulted from myocardial abnormalities. BNP may be useful as a screening tool for the detection of myocardial abnormalities in SSc patients.

[Screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis: Comparison of DETECT algorithm to decisions of a multidisciplinary team, in a competence centre]

INTRODUCTION

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of systemic sclerosis and detecting PAH efficiently remains challenging. The DETECT study has offered in 2013 a composite screening tool for PAH. The objective of our study was to compare the indication of right heart catheterisation (RHC) as suggested by the DETECT algorithm with the decisions of a multidisciplinary team.

METHODS

This prospective monocentric non-interventional study consecutively included systemic sclerosis patients when data required to apply DETECT algorithm were available. We evaluate the number of RHC as requested by this algorithm and confronted it with the indications of RHC suggested by a multidisciplinary group blinded for the result of DETECT algorithm.

RESULTS

In total, 117 systemic sclerosis patients were included. When DETECT algorithm was applied to all patients, RHC was suggested by this algorithm for 70 patients, whereas only 15 indications were required by the multidisciplinary group; among those patients only 7 had PAH. When DETECT algorithm was applied only to the 42 patients with DLCO<60% and disease duration of more than 3 years, RHC was suggested for 31 patients whereas only 13 were indicated by the multidisciplinary group; among those patients only 7 had PAH.

CONCLUSION

The DETECT algorithm is able to efficiently detect all PAH patients finally diagnosed by our multidisciplinary team. However, it increases by 3 the number of RHC that should be performed.

Cardiac tamponade and severe pericardial effusion in systemic sclerosis: report of nine patients and review of the literature

AIM

To describe the clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) developing severe pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade.

METHODS

SSc patients with severe pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade from three Spanish hospitals were collected. In addition, a computer-assisted (PubMed, MEDLINE) search of the literature to identify all cases of cardiac tamponade or severe pericardial effusion associated with SSc reported in English, French and Spanish from 1987 through September 2015 was performed.

RESULTS

We included 40 patients (nine cases from the Spanish hospitals and 31 cases from the literature review). Most patients (87%) were female with a mean age at pericardial involvement of 49.3 ± 15.2 years (range: 18-80 years), and 22 (55%) patients had the diffuse cutaneous subtype. Twenty-five (63%) patients presented with cardiac tamponade and the remaining 15 (37%) as severe or massive pericardial effusion. Pericardial involvement was previous or simultaneous to SSc diagnosis in 13 (32.5%) cases. In most cases (88.9%) pericardial fluid analysis disclosed an exudate. Half the patients received steroids and 35% needed surgical treatment. Five (12.5%) patients died due to cardiac tamponade, three of them during the acute phase and the remaining two, 2 and 9 months later, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although cardiac tamponade or severe pericardial effusion is an infrequent complication in SSc patients, it can be the first manifestation of disease associated with the diffuse cutaneous subset. No specific treatment for this complication is known.

Electrocardiographic evaluation in patients with systemic scleroderma and without clinically evident heart disease

BACKGROUND

In patients with systemic scleroderma (SSc), clinically evident cardiac involvement is recognized to be a poor prognostic factor. The aim of the study was to evaluate electrocardiographic changes, parameters of heart rate variability (HRV), and heart rate turbulence (HRT) in patients with SSc without evident symptoms of heart disease.

METHODS

A group of 27 patients with SSc were subjected to standard electrocardiography (ECG) examination and 24-hour Holter monitoring. Analysis of HRV in time and frequency domains, HRT, and echocardiography were also performed.

RESULTS

Holter monitoring revealed a larger number of premature supraventricular contractions (PSVCs), as well as premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in the patients with systemic scleroderma, as compared with the control group. Moreover, the SSc patients showed decreased parameters of time and frequency domains, as referred to the controls, especially during night hours. In four patients, abnormal HRT values were present. On echocardiography, only slight changes were found, however in five patients left ventricle diastolic dysfunction was diagnosed.

CONCLUSIONS

The noninvasive electrocardiographic methods seems to be useful for detecting early heart involvement in course of SSc and could be recommended for routine used in clinical practice. Significance of HRT analysis in patients with SSc needs further elucidation.

Genetic susceptibility to systemic sclerosis from clinical aspect to genetic factor analyses

BACKGROUND

Systemic sclerosis is a rare autoimmune disease mainly characterized by vascular alteration and fibrosis involving skin but also visceral organs such as lungs, digestive tract, and heart. This disease leads to high morbidity and mortality. Its pathogenesis remains unclear, but recent attention has focus on genetic factors.

OBJECTIVE

We first recall the main manifestations associated with systemic sclerosis and leading to its diagnosis and prognosis. Then we propose an overview on human genetics studies, as a number of genetic loci have been identified that appear to be associated with the disease.

METHODS

Articles concerning association studies with candidate genes encoding for extracellular matrix proteins, cytokines, growth factors, chemokines, and proteins involved in vascular tone and immune regulations are presented and discussed.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION

Systemic sclerosis is a multigenic complex disorder. Genetic associations are observed in distinct phenotypes such as the diffuse cutaneous form or the limited form, or in association with specific autoantibody pattern. Promising candidate genes are those involved in pathways that lead to the vascular damage and fibrosis. A better knowledge of crucial mediators involved in systemic sclerosis could in the future provide new therapeutic strategies to control the disease.