Radio-immunological assay of specific platelet substances in the serum allows assessment of in vivo platelet function at a given moment. Plasma levels of beta thromboglobulin (beta TG) platelet factor 4 (PF4) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) were measured at rest and during exercise stress testing in 39 patients with known coronary artery disease with stable effort angina. The patients were divided into two groups according to the results of exercise ECG and thallium 201 myocardial scintigraphy: ischaemic (n = 28) and non-ischaemic (n = 11). Resting and exercise levels of the three platelet substances were compared with a group of normal controls (n = 14). The average control values at rest and on exercise were, respectively: PF4: 8.5 +/- 5 and 22 +/- 14 ng/ml; beta TG: 36 +/- 17 and 68 +/- 36 ng/ml and TXB2: 112 +/- 41 and 201 +/- 81 pg/ml. The average values of the non-ischaemic patients did not differ significantly, either at rest or during exercise. The variation of pathological values was higher in the ischaemic group. This seems to reflect the absence of univocal platelet behaviour and does not allow statistical comparison of mean values. Our results suggest the existence of an "unstable platelet syndrome", which seems to be associated with poor effort tolerance especially when present under resting conditions. There would seem to be a causal relationship between platelet instability and myocardial ischaemia, which would justify anti-platelet aggregation therapy in primary and secondary prophylaxis of myocardial infarction.
Measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using real time 3D echocardiography (3DE) has been performed in subjects with preserved or modestly reduced systolic function. Our aim was to evaluate this technique in the subset of patients with severe systolic dysfunction.Consecutive patients with LVEF less than 0.35 at two-dimensional echocardiography were included. LVEF obtained by 3DE was compared to the value measured by radionuclide angiography (RNA). Real time full-volume 3DE was performed, with offline semiautomated measurement of LVEF using dedicated software (Cardioview RT, Tomtec) by a single observer blinded to the results of RNA. A total of 50 patients were evaluated, of whom 38 (76%, 27 males, age 69 +/- 13 years) had a 3DE of sufficient quality for analysis. LVEF for this group was 0.21 +/- 0.07 using 3DE and 0.27 +/- 0.08 using RNA. The agreement between the two techniques was rather poor (r = 0.49; P < 0.001; 95% limits of agreements of -0.20 to 0.09). Truncation of the apex was observed in 6 of 38 (16%) patients.In patients with severe systolic dysfunction, 3DE shows poor agreement for measurement of LVEF as compared to RNA. There may be underestimation of up to 20% in absolute terms by 3DE. Accordingly, the two methods are not interchangeable for the follow-up of LV function. A limitation of 3DE may, at least in part, be related to the incomplete incorporation of the apical region into the pyramidal image sector in patients with dilated hearts.
Journal Article Quantification of valvular regurgitation by cardiac blood pool scintigraphy: correlation with catheterization Get access J-P. Melchior, J-P. Melchior *Cardiology Department, University of LouvainMont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium†Cardiology Center, University HospitalGeneva, Switzerland Address for correspondence: J-P. Melchior, Service de Cardiologie, Clinique Ste Elizabeth, Avenue Defré, 206, B-1180 Bruxelles, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar M. Chevigne, M. Chevigne *Cardiology Department, University of LouvainMont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar A. Righetti, A. Righetti *Cardiology Department, University of LouvainMont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar B. De Bruyne, B. De Bruyne *Cardiology Department, University of LouvainMont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar J-P. Salembier, J-P. Salembier *Cardiology Department, University of LouvainMont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar J-C. Barthelemy, J-C. Barthelemy *Cardiology Department, University of LouvainMont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar B. Marchandise B. Marchandise *Cardiology Department, University of LouvainMont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar European Heart Journal, Volume 8, Issue suppl_C, August 1987, Pages 71–75, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/8.suppl_C.71 Published: 01 August 1987
We studied the effects of high doses of oral verapamil (480 mg daily) in a group of 28 patients undergoing intravenous drug therapy for terminal digestive tumor. One additional patient was prematurely withdrawn from the study due to the occurrence of second degree atrioventricular block, which regressed after the interruption of verapamil. Gated radionuclide angiocardiography was performed before and after treatment (mean duration 2 days). Verapamil induced a significant reduction of blood pressure and heart rate (132 +/- 19 mm Hg vs 124 +/- 18 mm Hg, p = 0.005 for systolic blood pressure, 80 +/- 13 mm Hg vs 76 +/- 9 mm Hg, p = 0.04 for diastolic blood pressure and 81 +/- 17 bpm vs 77 +/- 13 bpm, p = 0.02 for heart rate). Left ventricular ejection fraction and peak filling rate were not impaired (65 +/- 7% vs 64 +/- 7%, p = NS and 2.52 +/- 0.65 EDV/s vs 2.42 +/- 0.51 EDV/s, p = NS), while peak ejection rate decreased slightly (2.96 +/- 0.72 EDV/s vs 2.72 +/- 0.50 EDV/s, p = 0.01). Conversely, there was significant alteration of right ventricular systolic indexes (50 +/- 7% vs 46 +/- 7%, p = 0.01 for the ejection fraction and 2.06 +/- 0.53 EDV/s vs 1.88 +/- 0.44 EDV/s, p = 0.008 for the peak ejection rate), without change in the peak filling rate (1.54 +/- 0.46 EDV/s vs 1.46 +/- 0.46 EDV/s, p = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
