Clinical features, imaging findings and molecular data of limb-girdle muscular dystrophies in a cohort of Chinese patients

BACKGROUND

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are a group of heterogeneous inherited diseases predominantly characterized by limb-girdle muscle weakness and dystrophic changes on histological analysis. The frequency of LGMD subtypes varies among regions in China and ethnic populations worldwide. Here, we analyzed the prevalence of LGMD subtypes, their corresponding clinical manifestations, and molecular data in a cohort of LGMD patients in Southeast China.

METHODS

A total of 81 consecutive patients with clinically suspected LGMDs from 62 unrelated families across Southeast China were recruited for targeted next-generation sequencing and whole-exome sequencing from July 2017 to February 2020.

RESULTS

Among 50 patients (41 families) with LGMDs, the most common subtypes were LGMD-R2/LGMD2B (36.6%) and LGMD-R1/LGMD2A (29.3%). Dystroglycanopathies (including LGMD-R9/LGMD2I, LGMD-R11/LGMD2K, LGMD-R14/LGMD2N and LGMD-R20/LGMD2U) were the most common childhood-onset subtypes and were found in 12.2% of the families. A total of 14.6% of the families had the LGMD-R7/LGMD2G subtype, and the mutation c.26_33dupAGGTGTCG in TCAP was the most frequent (83.3%). The only patient with the rare subtype LGMD-R18/LGMD2S had TRAPPC11 mutations; had a later onset than those previously reported, and presented with proximal‒distal muscle weakness, walking aid dependency, fatty liver disease and diabetes at 33 years of age. A total of 22.0% of the patients had cardiac abnormalities, and one patient with LMNA-related muscular dystrophy/LGMD1B experienced sudden cardiac death at 37 years of age. A total of 15.4% of the patients had restrictive respiratory insufficiency. Muscle imaging in patients with LGMD-R1/LGMD2A and LGMD-R2/LGMD2B showed subtle differences, including more severe fatty infiltration of the posterior thigh muscles in those with LGMD-R1/LGMD2A and edema in the lower leg muscles in those with LGMD-R2/LGMD2B.

CONCLUSION

We determined the prevalence of different LGMD subtypes in Southeast China, described the detailed clinical manifestations and distinct muscle MRI patterns of these LGMD subtypes and reported the frequent mutations and the cardiorespiratory involvement frequency in our cohort, all of which might facilitate the differential diagnosis of LGMDs, allowing more timely treatment and guiding future clinical trials.

The incidence and interrelationship of hemivertebra and concomitant cardiac abnormalities in congenital scoliosis

BACKGROUND

Congenital scoliosis(CS) is associated with multiple organs defect, and cardiac abnormalities have been reported commonly associated with CS. Hemivertebra is caused by the failure of vertebral formation, which is a major constitute of CS. Till now, few studies focus on the incidence and interrelationship of hemivertebra and concomitant cardiac abnormalities in congenital scoliosis. We aimed to analyze the cardiac defect in CS patients with or without hemivertebra, and further explore the incidence of cardiac defect between different types of hemivertebra.

METHODS

The ultrasonic cardiography (UCG) results of surgically treated congenital scoliosis (CS) patients between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into hemivertebra group and non-hemivertebra group according to preoperative CT. Patients with hemivertebra was further divided into sub-group by single/multiple or fully/partially/mixed segmented hemivertebra. Demographic information, radiographic data and cardiac abnormalities were statistically compared between groups.

RESULTS

A total of 329 patients were analyzed, including 216 patients with hemivertebra and 113 patients without hemivertebra. UCG results were abnormal in 89 cases (27.1%), including 41 males(12.5%) and 48 females(14.6%). Hemivertebra group had comparable incidence of cardiac abnormalities with non-hemivertebra group (p = 0.517). No significant difference in the incidence of UCG abnormalities between single and multiple hemivertebra group (P = 0.246). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that female sex with multiple hemivertebra was a risk factor for abnormal UCG (P = 0.009, OR = 3.449). Cardiac abnormalities was comparable among fully, partially and mixed segmented hemivertebra group(P = 0.264). In abnormal UCG, 33 patients with hemivertebra had non-valvular abnormalities, and 48.5% (16/33) were septal defects. 28 patients had valvular abnormalities, most of them were mitral valve abnormalities, especially mitral valve redundancy, prolapse and insufficiency(82.1%, 23/28). No significant difference between the incidence of non-valvular and valvular abnormalities in patients with hemivertebra (P = 0.581).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of abnormal UCG results was approximately 28.2% in CS patients with hemivertebra. Female patients with multiple hemivertebra had a higher risk of UCG abnormalities. Mitral valve abnormalities were the most common abnormality of UCG found in CS patients with hemivertebra.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

retrospectively registered.

Cardiac evaluation of hospitalized children with 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) infection at a single large quaternary center

Background

Cardiac complications of serious SARS-CoV-2 infections, especially Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome of Children (MIS-C) are well described, however current studies have not considered pediatric patients hospitalized with no cardiac concerns. We established a protocol for cardiac evaluation of all admitted COVID-19 patients three weeks post-discharge, irrespective of cardiac concerns. We assessed cardiovascular outcomes and hypothesized that patients with absent cardiac concerns are at lower risk for cardiac abnormalities.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of 160 patients admitted for COVID-19 (excluding MIS-C) between March 2020 and September 2021 with subsequent echocardiogram(s) performed at our center. Patients were divided into 4 subgroups: Group 1 included patients with absent cardiac concerns, admitted to acute care (1a) and intensive care unit (ICU) (1 b). Group 2 included patients with cardiac concerns, admitted to acute care (2a) and ICU (2 b). Groups were compared based on clinical endpoints and echocardiographic measurements, including tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) assessment of diastolic function (z-score of septal Mitral E/TDI E' and lateral E/TDI E'). Chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used.

Results

Traditional cardiac abnormalities varied significantly between the groups; with Group 2 b having the most (n = 8, 21%), but still found in Group 1a (n = 2, 3%) and Group 1 b (n = 1, 5%). No patients in Group 1 demonstrated abnormal systolic function, compared to Group 2a (n = 1, 3%) and Group 2 b (n = 3, 9%, p = 0.07). When including TDI assessment of diastolic function, the total incidence of abnormalities found on echocardiogram was increased in all groups.

Conclusion

Cardiac abnormalities were found in pediatric patients admitted with COVID-19, even those without apparent cardiovascular concerns. The risk was greatest in ICU-admitted patients with cardiac concerns. The clinical significance of diastolic function assessment in these patients remains unknown. Further studies are needed to assess long-term cardiovascular sequelae of children with COVID-19, irrespective of cardiac concerns.

Cardiac findings in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: Short term follow up in a large Indian series

Background

We present a large Indian series of Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The aim of the study is to present the incidence and pattern of cardiac involvement in children with MIS-C and their short-term follow-up.

Methods and Results

Consecutive 144 children younger than 18 years of age diagnosed with MIS-C referred for cardiac evaluation between June 1 and November 30, 2021, were included and were followed up till February 2022. In addition to the demographics, details of COVID-19 infection, and biomarkers, their cardiovascular assessment (echocardiogram and electrocardiogram) was documented at baseline and on follow-up. The median age of children with MIS-C was 60 (24-104) months. Abnormal cardiac imaging was noted in 59% of children. Ventricular dysfunction was noted in 13.9% and coronary abnormalities were noted in 25.7% of children. The median duration when the first cardiac abnormality was reported was 7 (5-10) days. The distribution of age categories between children with and without cardiac abnormality was comparable. Children with cardiac abnormalities were followed up for a median duration of 47 (30-58) days. Complete resolution was documented in 92% of children after a median duration of 20 (9-38) days. There were no readmissions or deaths during follow-up.

Conclusion

Cardiac involvement in children with MIS-C is frequent with coronary abnormalities and ventricular dysfunction being the most common manifestations. Most children exhibit complete clinical and myocardial recovery with appropriate anti-inflammatory therapy. Studies on long-term outcome of these children are needed.

Focused Cardiac Ultrasound to Guide the Diagnosis of Heart Failure in Pregnant Women in India

BACKGROUND

Cardiac complications are a leading cause of maternal death. Cardiac imaging with echocardiography is important for prompt diagnosis, but it is not available in many low-resource settings. The aim of this study was to determine whether focused cardiac ultrasound performed by trained obstetricians and interpreted remotely by experts can identify cardiac abnormalities in pregnant women in low-resource settings.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 301 pregnant and postpartum women recruited from 10 hospitals across three states in India. Twenty-two obstetricians were trained in image acquisition using a portable cardiac ultrasound device following a simplified protocol adapted from focus-assessed transthoracic echocardiography protocol. It included parasternal long-axis, parasternal short-axis, and apical four-chamber views on two-dimensional and color Doppler. Independent image interpretation was performed remotely by two experts, in the United Kingdom and India, using a standard semiquantitative assessment protocol. Interrater agreement between the experts was examined using Cohen's κ. Diagnostic accuracy of the method was examined in a subsample for whom both focused and conventional scans were available.

RESULTS

Cardiac abnormalities identified using the focused method included valvular abnormalities (27%), rheumatic heart disease (6.6%), derangements in left ventricular size (4.7%) and function (22%), atrial dilatation (19.5%), and pericardial effusion (30%). There was substantial agreement on the cardiac parameters between the two experts, ranging from 93.6% (κ = 0.84) for left ventricular ejection fraction to 100% (κ = 1) for valvular disease. Image quality was graded as good in 79% of parasternal long-axis, 77% of parasternal short-axis and 64% of apical four-chamber views. The chance-corrected κ coefficients indicated fair to moderate agreement (κ = 0.28-0.51) for the image quality parameters. There was good agreement on diagnosis between the focused method and standard echocardiography (78% agreement), compared in 36 participants.

CONCLUSIONS

The focused method accurately identified cardiac abnormalities in pregnant women and could be used for screening cardiac problems in obstetric settings.

Screening and prevalence of cardiac abnormalities on electro- and echocardiography in a large cohort of patients with mitochondrial disease

BACKGROUND

In patients with primary mitochondrial disease (MD), screening with electrocardiogram (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is warranted according to current guidelines as structural cardiac abnormalities are frequent. This study aims to evaluate the cardiac phenotype of a large Dutch cohort of patients with MD and investigates whether ECG alone is sufficient for predicting structural cardiac abnormalities on TTE.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, genetically confirmed MD patients >18 years old with an available ECG and TTE were included. Newcastle Mitochondrial Disease Scale for Adults (NMDAS) scores were assessed. ECG's were evaluated for rhythm and conduction disorders, voltage criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and repolarization disorders. Echocardiographic evaluation included left and right ventricular volumes and function, and presence of LVH or concentric remodeling.

RESULTS

In total, 200 MD patients were included with a median age of 45 years (IQR; 37-57) of whom 36% were male. Of all MD patients, 35% had abnormalities on ECG and 61% on TTE. Most frequent structural cardiac abnormalities on TTE were: global longitudinal strain > - 18% (54%), concentric remodeling (27%) and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction <52% (14%). Patients with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) had the highest prevalence of ECG abnormalities (50% and 47%). TTE abnormalities were most prevalent in patients with MIDD (75%), followed by mitochondrial myopathy (MM) (55%), MELAS (47%) and Mitochondrial Epilepsy and Ragged Red Fibers (MERRF) (47%). MD patients with a high disease severity (NMDAS ≥21) had a higher prevalence of ECG abnormalities (44%, p = 0.039) and structural cardiac abnormalities (72%, p = 0.004) compared to patients with a NMDAS score of 11-20 and ≤ 10 (ECG: 34% and 19%; TTE: 63% and 39%). ECG abnormalities had a positive predictive value of 74% and a negative predictive value of 53% for structural cardiac abnormalities on TTE.

CONCLUSION

MD patients frequently have cardiac involvement especially patients with MIDD, MELAS or high NMDAS score. ECG as sole screening parameter is insufficient to detect structural cardiac abnormalities.

Evaluation of Cardiac Troponin and Adverse Outcomes After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Several studies have demonstrated the usefulness of cardiac troponin I (cTn) levels in predicting adverse clinical outcomes of patients with anerusmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). However, it remains unclear whether cTn levels can be a useful factor in predicting adverse neurologic and cardiovascular outcomes regarding follow-up duration. The study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of cTn elevation among patients with aSAH. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and Cochrane to collect original studies that compared the adverse outcomes in patients with aSAH who had elevated cTn levels and those who did not have elevated cTn levels. Data on patient demographics and outcome measurements (mortality, major disability, delayed cerebral ischemia, cardiac dysfunction, and pulmonary edema) were extracted. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed by fitting a random effects model. A total of 4,117 patients with aSAH were included in the meta-analysis. Elevated cTn levels was associated with a higher all-cause mortality (OR 3.64; 95% CI 2.68-4.94; I² = 22.05%), poor major disability (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.5-3.37; I² = 52.07%), delayed cerebral ischemia (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.46-3.03; I² = 13.80%), cardiac dysfunction (OR 9.20; 95% CI 4.31-19.60; I² = 39.89), and pulmonary edema (OR 10.32; 95% CI 5.64-18.90; I² = 0.00%). Additionally, elevated cTn levels was associated with higher mortality in prospective studies (OR 3.66; 95% CI 2.61-5.14) as well as when compared with studies with short-term and long-term follow-up periods. Patients with aSAH who had elevated cTn levels also tended to experience poor short-term major disability (OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.48-3.76). Among patients with aSAH, elevated cTn levels was associated with higher mortality and adverse neurologic and cardiovascular outcomes. Given its clinical value, cardiac troponin levels may be included in the assessment of patients withs aSAH.

Cardiac abnormalities due to multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with Covid-19 among children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cardiac defects due to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) have been abundantly reported leading high morbidity among children affected by Covid-19. We aimed to systematically assess the incidence of such cardiac abnormalities due to MIS-C in children suffering Covid-19.

METHODS

The manuscript databases including Medline, Web of knowledge, Google scholar, Scopus, and Cochrane were deeply searched by the two blinded investigators for all eligible studies based on the relevant keywords. The risk of bias for each study was assessed according to QUADAS-2 tool. Statistical analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Meta Analysis (CMA) software.

RESULTS

In final, 21 articles (including 916 children) were eligible for the final analysis that all yielded good quality and none of the citation was determined to have high risk of bias. Considering studies focusing different cardiac abnormalities related to MIS-C yielded a pooled prevalence of 38.0% for significant left ventricular dysfunction, 20.0% for coronary aneurism or dilatation, 28.1% for ECG abnormalities or cardiac arrhythmias, 33.3% for raised serum troponin level and 43.6% for raised proBNP/BNP level.

CONCLUSION

Although cardiac abnormalities among children suffering Covid-19 are uncommon, in the context of the MIS-C can be common and therefore potentially serious and life threatening.

Myocardial Infarction Type 2: Avoiding Pitfalls and Preventing Adverse Outcomes

Myocardial infarction type 2 (MI type 2) is an elevation of cardiac biomarkers in a physiologically stressful state leading to demand-supply mismatch of oxygen. This type of myocardial infarction is commonly seen in hospitalized patients. Since the introduction of clear definition, diagnostic criteria and International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes, the diagnosis has become increasingly common. There still remains plenty to learn about MI type 2 especially prevention and treatment strategies. Studies have shown that there is increased mortality and morbidity associated with MI type 2 when compared to MI type 1, and there may be benefit in having a multi-disciplinary approach including cardiology when treating such patients. Secondary prevention therapies may also play a role in decreasing adverse events from MI type 2. However, randomized control trials are insufficient, and results of studies are cautiously interpreted. In this article we have assessed the current evidence on MI type 2 and the gap in literature that will potentially be the focus of future analyses.

Cardiac Anomalies in Liveborn and Stillborn Monochorionic Twins

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular anomalies are more common in monochorionic twins, especially with twin-twin transfusion, compared to other twin types and to singletons. Because previous studies are based on fetal and neonatal echocardiography, more information is needed to study prevalence of cardiac anomalies in twin miscarriages, stillbirths, and children after the immediate neonatal period.

METHODS

With specific attention to cardiac anomalies, we reviewed the medical records of 335 selected liveborn twin pairs from the Marshfield Clinic Twin Cohort (enriched for twin-twin transfusion) and all twins (175 pairs) identified in the Wisconsin Stillbirth Service Program cohort of late miscarriages and stillbirths.

RESULTS

Structural cardiac defects occurred in 12% of liveborn monochorionic twin infants and 7.5% of stillborn infants with twin-twin transfusion compared to only 2% of liveborn dizygotic twins and no stillborn dizygotic infants. The most common cardiac lesion in liveborn twins was ventricular septal defect, which was usually isolated and discordant, preferentially affecting the smaller twin in monochorionic pairs. Among stillborn and miscarried monochorionic twins, the most common cardiac lesion was acardia.

CONCLUSIONS

Monochorionic twins, particularly those with TTT, are at increased risk for a spectrum of structural cardiac malformations which we suggest may be related to asymmetry of the inner cell mass resulting in a smaller poorly perfused twin. In severe cases, limited cardiac and circulatory development in the affected twin leads to acardia. In less severe cases, the smaller infant has deficient septal growth that sometimes results in ventricular septal defect.

Prenatal and postnatal echocardiography in NT fetuses with normal karyotype

Introduction

Targeted fetus echocardiography at midpregnancy can detect major defects in major cardiovascular organs. The present study aimed to evaluate prenatal and postnatal echocardiography in fetuses with increased nuchal translucency (NT) with normal karyotype.

Methods

In this retrospective study, data on the screening of fetuses in pregnant women between 2014 and 2015 were evaluated. The fetuses at the gestational age were 14-11 weeks, and NT ≥ 95 percentile (or 3 mm). For all fetuses with increased NT, follow-up anomaly scan was performed at 18-22 weeks of pregnancy, while fetal echocardiography was performed at weeks 16-19 of pregnancy. The results were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 22) and the level of significance was less than 0.05.

Results

A total of 26.27% of the fetuses were diagnosed with prenatal heart defects and confirmed after birth. The strongest relationship was observed between increased NT and the diagnosis of prenatal heart defects at 2.5-5.3 mm. The increased NT was higher in younger mothers. Moreover, increased NT was higher in mothers with less body mass index.

Conclusion

By measuring NT in the 11-13 weeks of pregnancy and considering the risk factors, it is possible to evaluate the probability of cardiac abnormalities in the fetus and perform the necessary diagnostic evaluations for high-risk cases.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Cardiac Abnormalities in Patients with Idiopathic Scoliosis

OBJECTIVE

We sought to investigate the incidence of cardiac abnormalities in patients with idiopathic scoliosis and identify risk factors related to cardiac abnormalities.

METHODS

A cohort of 531 patients with idiopathic scoliosis requiring surgical treatment in our hospital from March 2009 to August 2017 were recorded. Clinical data including medical records, radiograph, and echocardiogram were collected. All patients were divided into groups: control, congenital heart disease (CHD), and other cardiac abnormalities (OCAs). The incidence and related factors for cardiac abnormalities were analyzed.

RESULTS

The age of the study cohort was 17.8 ± 7.3 years. The average Cobb angle was 57.7 ± 16.5 degrees. Cardiac abnormalities were found in 149 (28.06%) patients, including 22 (4.14%) with CHD and 127 (23.92%) with OCAs. Atrial septal defect was the most common CHD with an incidence of 1.13% (6 of 531). Mitral valve prolapse was detected in 62 (11.68%) patients, which was the most prevalent OCA. Patients with CHD or OCAs weighed less as compared with patients without cardiac abnormalities. Low height was associated with CHD in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Six patients with severe cardiac abnormalities must undergo cardiac intervention before scoliosis surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall incidence of cardiac abnormalities was 28.81% in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. An echocardiogram may be helpful as a preoperative examination for patients with idiopathic scoliosis before scoliosis surgery.

Double outlet right ventricle and aortopulmonary window in a neonate with Bohring-Opitz (Oberklaid-Danks) syndrome: First case report

Bohring-Opitz syndrome (BOS) is a rare, sporadic genetic disorder, characterized by feeding difficulties, developmental delay, flexion abnormalities, dysmorphic facial features and typical body posture (BOS posture). This syndrome is diagnosed on the basis of distinctive clinical features with or without confirmation by genetic studies. Cardiac abnormalities are seen in almost half of the patients, but are nonspecific. We present a case of a 3-week-old male baby with BOS who was referred to our hospital with congestive heart failure, seizures and failure to thrive. He was diagnosed to have double outlet right ventricle and aortopulmonary window (DORV and APW). To our knowledge, this is the first case of Bohring-Opitz Syndrome ever reported with such clinical presentation.

Impact of echocardiographic wall motion abnormality and cardiac biomarker elevation on outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage: a meta-analysis

Cardiac abnormalities (echocardiographic wall motion abnormality (WMA), biomarker elevation of cardiac troponin (cTn), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), or N-terminal prohormone of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)) frequently occur after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The clinical significance of cardiac abnormalities after SAH remains controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between cardiac abnormalities and patient outcomes, including delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), poor outcome, and death in SAH patients. PubMed and Embase were searched for observational studies reporting an association between cardiac abnormalities and outcome after SAH that were published before 31 December 2017. We extracted data regarding patient characteristics, cardiac abnormalities, and outcome measurements (DCI, poor outcome, or death). Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Twenty-six studies involving 3917 patients were included in our data analysis. WMA showed significant associations with higher rates of DCI (RR, 2.03; 95% CI, 0.99-4.15), poor outcome (RR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.08-1.93), and death (RR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.59-4.05). cTn elevation was associated with an increased risk of DCI (RR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23-1.79), poor outcome (RR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.49-2.30), and death (RR, 2.68; 95% CI, 2.19-3.27). Elevation of BNP or NT-proBNT was significantly associated with higher rates of DCI (RR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.16-3.02). WMA and elevation of cTn, BNP, and NT-proBNP in SAH patients are associated with an increased risk of DCI, poor outcome, and death after SAH.

Effects of Lanthanum Carbonate on Coronary Artery Calcification and Cardiac Abnormalities After Initiating Hemodialysis

It is known that calcium-containing phosphate binders are more closely associated with the progression of vascular calcification than non-calcium-containing phosphate binders. In this study, we investigated the effect of the non-calcium-containing phosphate binder, lanthanum carbonate on the progression of coronary artery calcification and cardiovascular abnormalities compared to that of calcium-containing phosphate binder in chronic kidney disease patients during the early period after initiating hemodialysis. This was a randomized open-label study in which patients were divided into the calcium carbonate or lanthanum carbonate group. We evaluated blood samples, coronary artery calcification using high-resolution computed tomography, and cardiac abnormalities using echocardiography prior to and after initiating hemodialysis. Cardiac dimension and systolic function were significantly improved in the lanthanum carbonate group compared to those in the calcium carbonate group. Although statistically significant differences were not observed in all the patients, only among patients with moderate coronary artery calcification, the changes in coronary artery calcification score at 18 months were significantly smaller in the lanthanum carbonate group than those in the calcium carbonate group. The percent change in coronary artery calcification at 18 months was significantly correlated with the serum fibroblast growth factor 23 levels at 18 months (r = 0.245, P < 0.05). This significant correlation was particularly strong in patients with moderate coronary artery calcification (r = 0.593, P < 0.001). Our study suggests that lanthanum carbonate ameliorates cardiac abnormalities, and may slow coronary artery calcification development in patients with moderate coronary artery calcification, during the early period following hemodialysis initiation.

Cardiac pathology in spinal muscular atrophy: a systematic review

Background

Hereditary proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe neuromuscular disease of childhood caused by homozygous loss of function of the survival motor neuron (SMN) 1 gene. The presence of a second, nearly identical SMN gene (SMN2) in the human genome ensures production of residual levels of the ubiquitously expressed SMN protein. Alpha-motor neurons in the ventral horns of the spinal cord are most vulnerable to reduced SMN concentrations but the development or function of other tissues may also be affected, and cardiovascular abnormalities have frequently been reported both in patients and SMA mouse models.

Methods

We systematically reviewed reported cardiac pathology in relation to SMN deficiency. To investigate the relevance of the possible association in more detail, we used clinical classification systems to characterize structural cardiac defects and arrhythmias.

Conclusions

Seventy-two studies with a total of 264 SMA patients with reported cardiac pathology were identified, along with 14 publications on SMA mouse models with abnormalities of the heart. Structural cardiac pathology, mainly septal defects and abnormalities of the cardiac outflow tract, was reported predominantly in the most severely affected patients (i.e. SMA type 1). Cardiac rhythm disorders were most frequently reported in patients with milder SMA types (e.g. SMA type 3). All included studies lacked control groups and a standardized approach for cardiac evaluation.

The convergence to specific abnormalities of cardiac structure and function may indicate vulnerability of specific cell types or developmental processes relevant for cardiogenesis. Future studies would benefit from a controlled and standardized approach for cardiac evaluation in patients with SMA.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13023-017-0613-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cardiac involvement in rheumatoid arthritis: A cross-sectional study in Iran

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease is one of the extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that is the most common cause of death in these patients. So we decided to evaluate RA patients in terms of history, clinical examination, electrocardiography, and echocardiography to determine the prevalence of types of cardiac involvements in these patients.

METHODS

100 consecutive patients, diagnosed with RA, referred to rheumatology clinic in Razi referral hospital of Rasht, Iran, were enrolled. Complete physical examination of the joints was performed in all subjects to evaluate the remission of disease. Signs and symptoms of possible cardiac involvement were evaluated in patients by taking history and erythrocyte sedimentation rate test; moreover, an expert cardiologist performed complete cardiovascular examination in all participants. Then, all subjects were referred to a same center for electrocardiography and echocardiography. Finally, analysis was performed by using chi-square and t tests.

RESULTS

23 (23%) males and 77 (77%) females were included in this study. Tachycardia, dyspnea, and chest pain were the most cardiac signs and symptoms of patients. 32 subjects had abnormal findings in electrocardiogram. The most abnormal findings in patient's ECG were ST interval and T wave changes. Abnormal findings in echocardiography were observed in 74 participants. Pericardial involvement and ventricular dysfunction were the most abnormal findings in patient's echocardiography. We found a significant relation between duration of RA disease and abnormal echocardiography findings (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study indicates the high prevalence of cardiac involvement in RA patients.

Detection of Cardiac Abnormalities from Multilead ECG using Multiscale Phase Alternation Features

The cardiac activities such as the depolarization and the relaxation of atria and ventricles are observed in electrocardiogram (ECG). The changes in the morphological features of ECG are the symptoms of particular heart pathology. It is a cumbersome task for medical experts to visually identify any subtle changes in the morphological features during 24 hours of ECG recording. Therefore, the automated analysis of ECG signal is a need for accurate detection of cardiac abnormalities. In this paper, a novel method for automated detection of cardiac abnormalities from multilead ECG is proposed. The method uses multiscale phase alternation (PA) features of multilead ECG and two classifiers, k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and fuzzy KNN for classification of bundle branch block (BBB), myocardial infarction (MI), heart muscle defect (HMD) and healthy control (HC). The dual tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) is used to decompose the ECG signal of each lead into complex wavelet coefficients at different scales. The phase of the complex wavelet coefficients is computed and the PA values at each wavelet scale are used as features for detection and classification of cardiac abnormalities. A publicly available multilead ECG database (PTB database) is used for testing of the proposed method. The experimental results show that, the proposed multiscale PA features and the fuzzy KNN classifier have better performance for detection of cardiac abnormalities with sensitivity values of 78.12 %, 80.90 % and 94.31 % for BBB, HMD and MI classes. The sensitivity value of proposed method for MI class is compared with the state-of-art techniques from multilead ECG.

Myocarditis in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage: A histopathologic study

Cardiac abnormalities after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) such as electrocardiographic changes, echocardiographic wall motion abnormalities, and elevated troponin levels are independently associated with a poor prognosis. They are caused by catecholaminergic stress coinciding with influx of inflammatory cells into the heart. These abnormalities could be a sign of a myocarditis, potentially giving insight in pathophysiology and treatment options. These inflammatory cells are insufficiently characterized, and it is unknown whether myocarditis is associated with SAH. Myocardium of 25 patients who died of SAH and 18 controls was stained with antibodies identifying macrophages (CD68), lymphocytes (CD45), and neutrophil granulocytes (myeloperoxidase). Myocytolysis was visualized using complement staining (C3d). CD31 was used to identify putative thrombi. We used Mann-Whitney U testing for analysis. In the myocardium of SAH patients, the amount of myeloperoxidase-positive (P < .005), CD45-positive (P < .0005), and CD68-positive (P < .0005) cells was significantly higher compared to controls. Thrombi in intramyocardial arteries were found in 22 SAH patients and 1 control. Myocytolysis was found in 6 SAH patients but not in controls. Myocarditis, consisting of an influx of neutrophil granulocytes, lymphocytes, and macrophages, coinciding with myocytolysis and thrombi in intramyocardial arteries, occurs in patients with SAH but not in controls. These findings might explain the cardiac abnormalities after SAH and may have implications for treatment.

Study of Effectiveness and Safety of Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Valvulotomy for Treatment of Pregnant Patients with Severe Mitral Stenosis

INTRODUCTION

In pregnant women mitral stenosis is the commonest cardiac valvular lesion. When it is present in majorly severe condition it leads to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In mitral stenosis pregnancy can lead to development of heart failure.

AIM

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of balloon mitral valvulotomy (BMV) in pregnant females with severe mitral stenosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 30 pregnant patients who underwent BMV were included in the study from July 2011 to November 2013. Clinical follow-up during pregnancy was done every 3 months until delivery and after delivery. The mean follow up time after BMV was 6.72±0.56 months.

RESULTS

From the 30 pregnant females 14 (46.67%) and 16 (53.3%) patients underwent BMV during the third and second trimester of pregnancy respectively. The mean mitral valve area was 0.85+0.16 cm(2) before BMV that increased to 1.60+0.27 cm(2) (p<0.0001) immediately after BMV. Peak and mean diastolic gradients had decreased significantly within 48 hours after the procedure (p<0.001) but remained very much unchanged at 6.72 month period of follow-up. Two patients had an increase in mitral regurgitation by 2 grades.

CONCLUSION

During pregnancy BMV technique is safe and effective in patients with severe mitral stenosis. This results in marked symptomatic relief along with long term maternal and fetal outcomes.

The presence and impact of diastolic dysfunction on physical function and body composition in hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are the main cause of death in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Muscle wasting and physical function decline are common in MHD patients, and significantly impair their quality of life. These can result from abnormalities in cardiac function, which can be further worsened by physical deconditioning. Left ventricular diastolic function parameters were recently shown to be a better predictor of exercise capacity than systolic measures in patients with CV complications. But little is known about the relationship between cardiac function and physical function in MHD patients.

METHODS

In 82 MHD patients, left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) was assessed by ejection fraction and fractional shortening with echocardiography, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) was assessed by pulse wave and tissue Doppler indices. Physical function was assessed by gait speed, performance on a shuttle walk test, and leg muscle strength. Dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure whole body lean mass (WBLM).

RESULTS

The prevalence of LVDD and LVSD was 48.8 and 12.2%, respectively. Gait speed, shuttle walk time, leg strength, and WBLM% were significantly higher in the group without LVDD than with LVDD (p < 0.05 for all). However, there was no significant difference in any measure of physical function or body composition between patients with and without LVSD.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that LVDD is more closely related to physical function and body composition than LVSD in MHD patients, and hence that LVDD may be an important therapeutic target.

Decreased left ventricular (LV) function is associated with hip-fractures

BACKGROUND

Several risk factors for falls and hip-fractures have been recognized, but controversy still exists toward the importance of structural cardiac abnormalities as a potentially modifiable risk factor for recurrent falls. Aim of this study was to determine the association between echocardiographic abnormalities and hip-fractures.

METHODS

Design case-control study within consecutive patients undergoing hip-surgery in an academic hospital.

CASES

patients with traumatic hip-fractures.

CONTROLS

patients undergoing planned hip surgery (non-traumatic).

INCLUSION CRITERIA

age≥50 years, presence of pre-operative echocardiogram.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

high energy trauma, pathological and/or previous hip-fracture.

OUTCOME

echocardiographic abnormalities (ventricular function, atrial enlargement, valve stenosis and/or regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) ≥35mmHg)). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) and to correct for confounders.

RESULTS

We included 197 patients (141 cases). Mean age was 77 years (SD), 65% female. After adjustment for potential confounders, decreased LV systolic function was associated with hip-fractures (OR 3.2 [95%CI 1.1-9.1]). Increasing severity of LV dysfunction was also associated with hip-fractures (p for trend=0.012).

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, patients with traumatic hip-fracture had greater risk of decreased LV function than patients who underwent planned hip-surgery. Possibly, decreased LV function is an underestimated risk factor for injurious falls.

Cardiorespiratory abnormalities during epileptic seizures

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a leading cause of death in young and otherwise healthy patients with epilepsy, and sudden death is at least 20 times more common in epilepsy patients as compared to patients without epilepsy. A significant proportion of patients with epilepsy experience cardiac and respiratory complications during seizures. These cardiorespiratory complications are suspected to be a significant risk factor for SUDEP. Sleep physicians are increasingly involved in the care of epilepsy patients and a recognition of these changes in relation to seizures while a patient is under their care may improve their awareness of these potentially life-threatening complications that may occur during sleep studies. This paper details these cardiopulmonary changes that take place in relation to epileptic seizures and how these changes may relate to the occurrence of SUDEP.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway abnormalities in tenascin-X deficiency associated with CAH-X syndrome

Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) with tenascin-X deficiency (CAH-X syndrome) have both endocrine imbalances and characteristic Ehlers Danlos syndrome phenotypes. Unlike other subtypes, tenascin-X-related Ehlers Danlos syndrome is caused by an extracellular matrix protein deficiency rather than a defect in fibrillar collagen or a collagen-modifying enzyme, and the understanding of the disease mechanisms is limited. We hypothesized that transforming growth factor-β pathway dysregulation may, in part, be responsible for connective tissue phenotypes observed in CAH-X, due to this pathway's known role in connective tissue disorders. Fibroblasts and direct tissue from human skin biopsies from CAH-X probands and age- and sex-matched controls were screened for transforming growth factor-β biomarkers known to be dysregulated in other hereditary disorders of connective tissue. In CAH-X fibroblast lines and dermal tissue, pSmad1/5/8 was significantly upregulated compared to controls, suggesting involvement of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway. Additionally, CAH-X samples compared to controls exhibited significant increases in fibroblast-secreted TGF-β3, a cytokine important in secondary palatal development, and in plasma TGF-β2, a cytokine involved in cardiac function and development, as well as palatogenesis. Finally, MMP-13, a matrix metalloproteinase important in secondary palate formation and tissue remodeling, had significantly increased mRNA and protein expression in CAH-X fibroblasts and direct tissue. Collectively, these results demonstrate that patients with CAH-X syndrome exhibit increased expression of several transforming growth factor-β biomarkers and provide a novel link between this signaling pathway and the connective tissue dysplasia phenotypes associated with tenascin-X deficiency.