The prevention of heart failure in our aging population has become a healthcare priority. As part of the normal aging process patients have been shown to develop age-related myocardial fibrosis, which is characterized by excess deposition and a lack of clearance of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, contributing to the development of heart failure. The increase in ECM proteins is caused by an imbalance between the following: (1) collagen biosynthesis by fibroblasts, (2) post-synthetic collagen processing (cross-linking) which stabilizes collagen, and (3) collagen degradation. The focus of this thesis lays mainly on collagen biosynthesis and processing, and how interrupting these can affect the overall balance of collagen in the myocardium. The two main objectives of this thesis lay in 1 – characterizing the role of a key pro-fibrotic signal in the TGFβ pathway, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), in hypertension induced myocardial fibrosis development, and 2 – investigating the role of lysyl oxidase (LOX), an enzyme involved in the crosslinking of collagen that has been implicated in age-related myocardial fibrosis development. This thesis provides novel evidence that CTGF regulation is an important step in the early stages of myocardial fibrosis development through regulating new collagen synthesis and that CTGF is produced as a downstream mediator of TGFβ after AngII exposure not directly through AngII-AT1R signaling. Additionally, novel evidence is presented that LOX inhibition reduces age-related myocardial fibrosis and that the decrease in collagen protein content observed after LOX inhibition is associated with a significant decrease in new pro-collagen 1 mRNA synthesis. This suggests that LOX inhibition also inhibits new collagen synthesis by an unknown mechanism. Overall, these studies have contributed new mechanistic knowledge about myocardial fibrosis development and explored potential therapeutic strategies aimed at interrupting collagen homeostasis, which are key to understanding myocardial fibrosis development.

Myocardial fibrosis is a common pathological finding in patients with cardiovascular disease and is believed to be a major contributing factor in the development of end stage organ failure. Early events that promote the development of myocardial fibrosis are not well understood. Rapid cellular infiltration into the cardiac tissue is evident in fibrosis but the infiltrating populations and their functions have yet to be completely elucidated. The aim of this thesis was to characterize the phenotype and function of this cellular population in a model of hypertension mediated myocardial fibrosis. Furthermore, we intended to explore therapies that target this population and ameliorate fibrosis. We characterized a novel population of infiltrating cells as circulating fibroblast progenitor cells, termed fibrocytes. We determined that this population does not appear to specifically migrate in response to previously established chemotactic signals (CCL2 or CXCL12). We found that fibrocytes respond to fibrogenic stimuli (AngII and CTGF) by increasing the expression of collagen and CTGF, an early molecular mediator of fibrosis, while also promoting fibrocyte differentiation. Using an anti-hypertension treatment, we found that hypertension as a physiologic stimulus likely promotes cellular infiltration and corresponding fibrosis. We also established that treatment with activated protein C (aPC) conferred protection against the development of myocardial fibrosis, potentially by inhibiting fibrocyte recruitment and/or activation. Lastly, to assess fibrocyte involvement in the progression of human myocardial fibrosis we assessed fibrocytes in levels in the circulation of patients with ischemic heart disease compared to healthy controls. We found that patients with ischemic heart disease had an increase of circulating cells that have the potential to become fibrocytes compared to healthy controls and therefore likely contribute to myocardial fibrosis. From this data, we propose that fibrocytes are a key effector cell that directly promotes pathologic fibrosis within the injured myocardium. Understanding their migration and function is therefore essential to the development of future therapies targeting this cell type to inhibit their role in fibrosis.

BACKGROUND Aortic stenosis affects not only the valve but also the myocardium. In response to the increased afterload, left ventricular hypertrophy initially occurs as a compensatory response to maintain wall stress and cardiac output but ultimately, decompensation and heart failure ensues. The transition from adaptation to decompensation is driven by myocyte death and myocardial fibrosis. The aims of the thesis are to investigate cardiovascular magnetic resonance assessment of disease severity and myocardial fibrosis, and explore its relationship with other biomarkers of disease activity and clinical outcome in patients with aortic stenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS The conventional assessment of aortic stenosis relies heavily on two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography but there are inherent limitations in echocardiography that can affect the severity classification. I demonstrated that cardiovascular magnetic resonance offered a more accurate estimation of left ventricular volumes and mass, and excellent myocardial characterization. Indeed, inaccurate stroke volume estimation by Doppler echocardiography and inconsistent thresholds in current guidelines accounted for more than 40% of patients with discordant small-area, lowgradient aortic stenosis. These data may explain the variable prognosis reported in this unique group of patients, and argue for more accurate assessment of borderline cases with cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Late gadolinium enhancement imaging detects focal areas of established myocardial fibrosis. In many conditions, including aortic stenosis, a more diffuse form of fibrosis predominates, which is potentially reversible and not readily identified by late gadolinium enhancement. Recently several myocardial T1 mapping approaches have been developed to quantify diffuse fibrosis. Using a standardized and systematic approach, I compared several commonly used T1 mapping techniques and identified that extracellular volume had the best profile (reproducibility and discriminatory potential) for the identification of diffuse fibrosis in patients with aortic stenosis. Cardiac troponin is a structural protein present in the cardiac myocytes. Recent advances in assay technology have substantially improved sensitivity, allowing quantification of troponin concentrations with a high degree of precision in everyone. In more than 250 patients with aortic stenosis, I demonstrated that cardiac troponin I concentrations were independently associated with markers of left ventricular decompensation (hypertrophy and fibrosis) and predicted clinical outcome in patients with aortic stenosis. This suggests that myocardial fibrosis detected by cardiovascular magnetic resonance is consequent on myocardial injury secondary to left ventricular decompensation. Left ventricular hypertrophy with strain pattern on a 12-lead electrocardiogram is associated with poor outcome in patients with aortic stenosis, but the mechanism of this electrocardiographic pattern has not been described. In more than 300 patients with aortic stenosis, I demonstrated that these characteristic repolarization abnormalities were a highly specific marker of focal mid-wall myocardial fibrosis (specificity of 99% and sensitivity of 54%). Moreover, the prognostic value of this electrocardiographic pattern was again confirmed with markedly worse long-term outcomes in these patients. CONCLUSION I have demonstrated that cardiovascular magnetic resonance can assist in the assessment of disease severity in patients with aortic stenosis and discordant echocardiographic findings. Moreover, I have validated the assessment of diffuse myocardial fibrosis, as well as, demonstrated the close association between myocardial fibrosis and biomarkers of myocardial injury and electrocardiographic strain pattern that predicted an adverse outcome in patients with aortic stenosis.

Inflammatory arthropathies and systemic rheumatic diseases (IASRDs) commonly involve the cardiovascular system, and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Mechanisms of cardiovascular involvement in these clinical entities are not fully understood. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the single imaging modality capable of assessing non-invasively cardiac function, strain, ischaemia, altered vascular function, perfusion, oedema/inflammation and fibrosis. Furthermore, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can give further insights into the status of myocardial energetics and lipidosis. The pathophysiological mechanisms and phenotype of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in IASRDs need further clarification. CMR is an ideal tool for the early identification and monitoring of cardiac manifestations in patients with IASRDs. Hence, the aims of this D.Phil project were to (i) utilise CMR and MRS to study disease mechanisms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc), and (ii) to assess the role of anti-cytokine therapies in abrogation of cardiovascular complications and effects on cardiovascular function in patients with RA, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). First, we used CMR to assess myocardial structure and function in RA, SLE and SSc patients with no known cardiovascular symptoms. Patients and controls were stratified by the presence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). Our data demonstrated no differences in overall left ventricular (LV) systolic function, size and mass between patients and matched controls. There were, however, impairments in regional function and myocardial deformation, which is most severe in RA, SLE and SSc patients with CVRFs. We also found evidence of impaired vascular function in RA, SLE and SSc, using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and aortic distensibility, and again, showed that patients with CVRFs demonstrated the most severe aberrations, while patients without CVRFs and controls with CVRFs had an intermediate phenotype. Abnormalities in vascular and regional function were most severe in patients with SSc. Also, we showed that impaired vascular function correlated with abnormal systolic myocardial strain and diastolic strain rate in all groups of IASRDs studied. These data have implications for the clinical care of patients with RA, SLE and SSc and show that there is extensive cardiovascular involvement in asymptomatic patients. These results also suggest that early identification and stratification of CVD in IASRDs, with non-invasive techniques like CMR, may permit earlier intervention, thus potentially reducing the effect of CVD on morbidity and mortality in IASRDs. Lastly, these data highlight the importance of early detection and aggressive management of co-existent traditional CVRFs, as they confer incremental risk of CVD in patients with IASRDs. Second, we used CMR for comprehensive phenotyping of tissue characteristics in patients with RA, SLE and SSc. Our data confirmed that subclinical myocardial changes are common in patients with IASRDs (even with apparently normal hearts), which can be detected using multiparametric CMR. In addition to focal areas of fibrosis (detected by late gadolinium enhancement [LGE]), there were also areas of focal myocardial oedema or inflammation (detected by T2-weighted imaging). Further, using more sensitive techniques such as native T1 mapping and extracellular volume (ECV) quantification, we were able to demonstrate even more areas of myocardial involvement in IASRD patients than conventional CMR techniques can reveal, with patients showing significantly larger areas of T1 abnormality and expanded ECV, which likely represent a combination of low grade inflammation and diffuse myocardial fibrosis that are well-described disease processes in this cohort. We also found that T1 and ECV measures were associated with subtle myocardial systolic and diastolic dysfunction. The results of this study suggest that CMR, particularly T1 and ECV quantification, can be used for early detection of subclinical myocardial involvement in IASRD patients, potentially serving as an early screening tool before overt LV dysfunction or irreversible myocardial damage occurs. Third, we utilised CMR to study myocardial perfusion in patients with RA, SLE and SSc. We found that myocardial perfusion was impaired in asymptomatic IASRD with no overt heart disease. Non-segmental, subendocardial perfusion defects consistent with microvascular dysfunction were present in 47%, 31% and 41% of RA, SLE and SSc patients, respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between MPRI and systolic and diastolic regional function in all groups of patients. In RA and SSc, there was also a correlation between myocardial perfusion reserve index (MPRI) and disease activity. SSc patients had the greatest burden of ECV expansion, and in this group ECV also correlated with MPRI. These data led us to hypothesise that myocardial ischaemia likely leads to impaired myocardial relaxation and diffuse fibrosis, which predate overt dysfunction in contractility. Fourth, we investigated the effect of TNF-alpha inhibitors on myocardial and vascular function and structure in RA, AS and PsA patients. We confirmed that anti-TNF therapy was associated with improvements in serum inflammatory parameters like CRP and ESR, as well as with improved clinical measures of disease activity. Anti-TNF therapy, however, was not related to a change in left ventricular size, mass and global systolic function. We found that inhibition of TNF-alpha activity does result in better myocardial strain and strain rate, likely reflecting an improvement in myocardial inflammatory burden. Moreover, these findings were also supported by improvements in T2 weighted measures, native T1 values and ECV calculations. There was, however, no significant change in myocardial perfusion following anti-TNF therapy. These results support the hypothesis that during episodes of disease activity, myocardial oedema is present in patients with IASRDS and that by reducing the systemic inflammatory response, improvements in myocardial and vascular function can be achieved. Finally, we used CMR and MRS in asymptomatic RA and SLE patients (with normal hearts on echocardiography) to investigate cardiac metabolic status in this cohort. We found that myocardial energetics were impaired in patients, despite preserved overall ejection fraction. Interestingly, abnormal myocardial energetics were associated with presence of LGE, decreased myocardial perfusion, expanded ECV, volume fraction of T1 >990ms (which represents >2 standard deviations above the mean T1 value at 1.5T) and left atrial size. We did not find any difference in myocardial and hepatic lipid content between patients and controls. These data clearly demonstrate that abnormalities in cardiac energetics are present in IASRD patients even before the development of overt cardiac dysfunction, and may be driven by microvascular function and fibrosis.

Ce travail de thèse avait pour objectif d'évaluer l'intérêt des peptides collagéniques sanguins dans différentes populations à haut risque de développer une insuffisance cardiaque (patients présentant une obésité abdominale ou en post-infarctus du myocarde) ou déjà symptomatiques (post-infarctus du myocarde). En effet la fibrose myocardique est un élément essentiel de l'évolution péjorative de l'insuffisance cardiaque.Ces travaux ont permis de montrer la pertinence clinique des dosages sanguins des peptides collagéniques tout au long du processus de l'insuffisance cardiaque : du stade asymptomatique aux stades symptomatiques. Nous avons mis en évidence, à travers l'expression des peptides collagéniques que : 1/ des patients asymptomatiques ayant une obésité abdominale présentent un remodelage cardiaque précoce tant structurel que fonctionnel (augmentation de la masse ventriculaire gauche, dysfonction diastolique associée au PIIINP) : R2C2 Study. 2/ le ratio PIIINP/ICTP ≤ 1, mesuré 1 mois après un infarctus, est indépendamment associé à la survenue d'un remodelage ventriculaire gauche à un an et améliore la prédiction de survenue d'évènements cardiovasculaires (décès cardiovasculaires et hospitalisation pour décompensation cardiaque) à 3 ans : REVE-2 study. 3/ les antagonistes des récepteurs aux minéralocorticoïdes (éplérénone), traitement anti-fibrotique par excellence, sont efficaces et sûrs (hyperkaliémie et insuffisance rénale) chez des patients à haut risque de remodelage et de complications: EMPHASIS-HF study. Ce travail doit conduire à la validation dans d'autres populations du rôle prépondérant de la fibrose mais surtout au bénéfice thérapeutique des classes anti-fibrotiques dans l'insuffisance cardiaque. / No abstract available

Orientador: Wilson Nadruz Junior / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T11:09:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CoelhoFilho_OtavioRizzi_D.pdf: 8725333 bytes, checksum: ee070aef34035ec96f3bc99d7656888b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: A hipertrofia dos cardiomiócitos e a expansão da matriz extracelular são fatores importantes para o desenvolvimento da insuficiência cardíaca. Até o momento nenhum método não invasivo é capaz de caracterizar conjuntamente a hipertrofia de cardiomiócitos e a expansão da matriz extracelular. O objetivo desse estudo foi de validar um método derivado da ressonância magnética cardíaca (RMC) para a avaliação conjunta da hipertrofia dos cardiomiócitos e da expansão da matriz extracelular. Camundongos adultos foram submetidos a 7 semanas de tratamento com L-NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) para indução de hipertensão e hipertrofia ventricular. Outro grupo de camundongos foi submetido à bandagem cirúrgica da aorta ascendente. Os animais tratados com L-NAME foram estudados pela RMC antes e após 7 semanas de tratamento com L-NAME. Os animais submetidos à bandagem da aorta foram estudados com 2, 4 e 7 semanas após a bandagem. O tempo T1 foi mensurado no coração antes e depois da administração de contraste paramagnético extracelular, gadolínio. O tempo de vida intracelular das moléculas de água (TVIMA), um parâmetro dependente ao tamanho da celular, e a fração do volume extracelular (FVEC), um parâmetro relacionado com o tecido conectivo extracelular, foram determinados utilizando um modelo de dois compartimentos, considerando a troca de água pela membrana celular dos cardiomiócitos. Os diâmetros menor (Dminor) e maior (Dmajor) dos cardiomiócitos foram medidos nos corações explantados corados com aglutinina contra gérmen de trigo (FITC-wheat germ agglutinin). TVIMA apresentou forte correlação com a relação do volume-pela-superfície dos cardiomiócitos (r=0,78, P<0,001) e do volume (r=0,78, P<0,001) dos cardiomiócitos determinados pela histologia. Os diâmetros e o volume dos cardiomiócitos foram significativamente maior nos animais trados com L-NAME (P<0,001). Os camundongos submetidos à bandagem da aorta apresentavam sinais precoces de aumento do tamanho dos cardiomiócitos, determinado tanto pela RMC como pela histologia. Animais expostos a bandagem da aorta demonstraram aumento significante no volume e da relação volume-pela-superfície dos cardiomiócitos, assim com ocorreu com TVIMA. A determinação do TVIMA e da FVEC pela RMC é capaz de quantificar dois importantes componentes do remodelamento cardíaco: a hipertrofia dos cardiomiócitos e a expansão da matriz extracelular / Abstract: Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is a critical precursor to the development of heart failure. Methods to phenotype cellular hypertrophy non-invasively are limited. The goal was to validate a CMR-based approach for the combined assessment of extracellular matrix expansion and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Two murine models of pressure-overload, hypertension induced by L-NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) and transaortic constriction (TAC), were imaged by CMR at baseline and 7-weeks after L-NAME treatment, and up to 7 weeks following TAC. T1 relaxation times were measured before and after gadolinium contrast. The intracellular lifetime of water (?ic), a cell size dependent parameter, and extracellular volume fraction (ECV), a parameter linked to interstitial connective tissue, were determined with a model for transcytolemmal water exchange. Minor (Dmin) and major (Dmaj) cell-diameters were measured on FITC-wheat germ agglutinin stained sections. ?ic, correlated strongly with histologic cardiomyocyte volume-to-surface ratio (r=0.78, P<0.001) and cell volume (r=0.75; P<0.001). Histological cardiomyocyte diameters and cell volume were higher in mice treated with L-NAME for 7 weeks compared to controls (P<0.001). In the TAC model, there was an early increase in cell volume and cardiomyocyte size using both CMR and histology without early fibrosis. Mice exposed to TAC demonstrated a significant, longitudinal, and parallel increase in histological cell volume, volume-to-surface ratio, and ?ic,between 2 and 7 weeks after TAC. The intracellular lifetime (? ic) measured by contrast-enhanced CMR is a sensitive, non-invasive measure of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy that can longitudinally track hypertrophy and myocardial remodeling / Doutorado / Clinica Medica / Doutor em Clínica Médica

No description available.

A cardiomiopatia hipertrófica (CMH) é uma doença cardíaca genética e se caracteriza como a principal causadora de morte súbita em jovens, com apresentação clínica variável, desde assintomáticos a morte súbita, o que dificulta sua estratificação de risco. Tanto a ressonância magnética cardiovascular (RMC) como a tomografia computadorizada com múltiplos detectores (TCMD) mostraram-se capazes de avaliar a fibrose miocárdica, que é frequentemente encontrada nos casos de CMH. Os objetivos desta tese são: avaliar a distribuição e a correlação entre as áreas de hipertrofia e fibrose miocárdica pela RMC em pacientes com CMH; comparar a avaliação da fibrose miocárdica pela TCMD com a avaliação da fibrose miocárdica pela RMC; avaliar a fibrose miocárdica pela TCMD em pacientes com CMH portadores de cardiodesfibriladores e correlacionar a fibrose miocárdica pela TCMD com as arritmias ventriculares com terapia apropriada pelo CDI. Foram selecionados 145 pacientes com CMH, dos quais 13 apresentaram critérios de exclusão, sendo, portanto, incluídos 132 pacientes em seguimento ambulatorial, que assinaram termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido. Destes, 91 pacientes foram submetidos à RMC para avaliação das características morfofuncionais do coração, incluindo a caracterização da fibrose miocárdica. Outros 15 pacientes foram submetidos tanto à TCMD quanto à RMC para avaliação e comparação da fibrose miocárdica por ambos os métodos. Finalmente, 26 pacientes hipertróficos portadores de CDI foram submetidos somente à TCMD para a avaliação da fibrose miocárdica e seguimento. Entre os 91 pacientes submetidos à RMC, a idade média foi de 37,9±17 anos, dos quais 58% eram homens. A média da espessura máxima da maior parede hipertrofiada do VE foi de 24,2±6,3mm e a média da FEVE, de 73,3±13,3%. A fibrose miocárdica foi observada em 76,9% dos 91 pacientes com uma média da massa de fibrose indexada pela superfície corpórea de 8,1±11,0g/m2. Dos 1547 segmentos miocárdicos pertencentes aos 91 pacientes, 18,9% (293) apresentaram fibrose miocárdica. Destes, 35,2% dos segmentos com fibrose apresentavam espessura miocárdica normal. Por outro lado, 58,6% dos segmentos hipertrofiados não apresentavam fibrose miocárdica. Além disso, não foi observada correlação significativa entre os segmentos hipertrofiados e os segmentos com fibrose miocárdica pela regressão linear. (r = 0,13 p = 0,21). Adicionalmente, a análise por paciente demonstrou que 65,8% dos indivíduos não apresentavam concordância significativa (Kappa < 0,40, p NS) entre a hipertrofia e a fibrose miocárdica, enquanto 34,2% apresentavam concordância moderada, boa ou excelente entre a hipertrofia e a fibrose miocárdica (Kappa > 0,40, p<0,001). A comparação da análise do porcentual da fibrose miocárdica no grupo de 15 pacientes submetidos tanto a TCMD quanto a RMC, demonstrou boa correlação com r = 0,77 e p =0,0001 e média das diferenças de 0,99 gramas. A análise da fibrose miocárdica pela TCMD dos 26 pacientes com CMH e portadores de desfibriladores implantáveis há mais de um ano demonstrou que a fibrose miocárdica estava presente em 96,1% desta população de alto risco, com média de 20,5 ±15,8 gramas de fibrose. Em um segmento médio de 38,5±25,5 meses, 50% destes pacientes apresentaram choques apropriados secundários - na maioria à fibrilação ventricular (12/13 eventos). Naqueles que receberam choques apropriados, a massa de fibrose era significativamente maior do que naqueles que não se observaram o registro das arritmias (29,10±19,13g vs 13,57±8,31g, p=0,01). Utilizando 18 gramas de fibrose como ponto de corte, a chance de registro de FV/TV com terapia apropriada pelo CDI foi de 75%. O seguimento dos pacientes demonstrou que massa de fibrose miocárdica acima de 18 gramas apresentava taxa de arritmias ventriculares com terapia apropriada pelos desfibriladores significativamente maior (p=0,02). Na análise multivariada, a massa de fibrose miocárdica foi a única a se correlacionar independentemente com as arritmias ventriculares adequadamente tratadas pelos CDIs. Concluímos que a apresentação das áreas de hipertrofia e fibrose miocárdica é heterogênea e que a correlação entre elas nas imagens de RMC é variável, não sendo significativa na maioria dos pacientes. Nossos dados de validação da TCMD permitem concluir que quando a RMC não pode ser utilizada, a tomografia pode ser uma alternativa adequada. A análise da fibrose miocárdica em pacientes com CMH e CDI demonstrou associação significativa e independente entre a magnitude da fibrose miocárdica e terapia apropriada pelos desfibriladores / Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic cardiac disorder leading cause of sudden death in young people with extremely variable presentation, from asymptomatic to sudden death as first symptom, leads to challenging risk stratification. Recently, both cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) were able to assess myocardial fibrosis (MF) often found in cases of HCM. Our objectives were to evaluate the distribution and correlation of myocardial hypertrophy (MH) and myocardial fibrosis by CMR in patients with HCM; to compare and validate the assessment of myocardial fibrosis by MDCT and CMR and to evaluate the correlation between myocardial fibrosis by MDCT and ventricular arrhythmias appropriately treated by defibrillators, due to contraindications to CMR in this group. 145 HCM patients were selected with 13 having exclusion criteria. Then 132 outpatients were included and signed informed consent for this study. First, 91 patients were submitted to CMR to evaluate the morphofunctional characteristics of the heart including myocardial fibrosis; Second, 15 patients were submitted to both MDCT and CMR in order to evaluate myocardial fibrosis by both methods, and finally 26 HCM patients with implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) were submitted to MDCT, for assessment MF. Among 91 patients submitted to CMR the mean age was 37.9 ± 17 years old, and 58% were men. The LV maximum end diastolic wall thickness was 24.2 ± 6.3mm and LVEF mean was 73.3% ± 13.3. MF was evident in 76.9% of patients with a mean fibrosis mass index of 8.1±11.0g/m2. Of all the 1547 myocardial segments from 91 HCM patient, 35.2% of segments with MF occurred in segments without MH, 58.6% of MH segments had no signs of MF. Linear regression showed no significant correlation between number of segments with MH and MF (r = 0.13, p = 0.21). A per patient Kappa analysis showed no significant agreement (Kappa0.40, p ns) between MH and MF in 65.8% of the population and the remaining 34.2% of this population showed a significant agreement between MH and MF (kappa > 0.40, p < 0.001). The analysis of MF% in the group of 15 HCM patients submitted by both MDCT and MR showed a good correlation by linear regression between the two methods with r = 0.77 and p = 0.0001 with mean difference of 0.99g. The MF analysis by TCMD in 26 HCM patients with ICD, clinically indicated, for at least one year demonstrated that MF was present in 96.1% of patients with a mean fibrosis mass of 20.5±15.8g. During the mean follow-up of 38.5±25.5 months, 50% of these patients present appropriated shocks due to ventricular fibrillation in most of cases (12/13 registered events). Patients with appropriate ICD shocks had significantly greater MF mass than those without (29.10±19.13g vs 13.57±8.31g, p=0.01). The best MF mass cut off was 18g, with an accuracy of 0.75 for predicting ICD firing. Patients with MF mass 18g had a significantly higher event rate in the follow up (p=0.02). MF mass was independently associated with ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation on ICD-stored electrograms by multivariate analysis. We conclude that the presentation of myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis areas is heterogeneous and the correlation between MH and MF is variable and non significant in the most of the patients in CMR images. The validation data of MF techniques showed that in cases where CMR can not be used, MDCT may be a good alternative to assessment of fibrosis. The MF analysis in HCM patients with ICD showed a significant and independent association between MF extent and VF / VT appropriated therapy by ICDs

Introdução: A miocardiopatia chagásica (MC) apresenta pior prognóstico que as etiologias isquêmica e não isquêmica de miocardiopatia, e acarreta alto custo. A fibrose miocárdica (FM) detectada pela Ressonância Magnética Cardíaca (RMC) mostrou-se um fator preditor independente de risco aumentado em diversas etiologias de insuficiência cardíaca. Na MC, a FM foi associada com marcadores conhecidos de pior prognóstico, como a disfunção ventricular esquerda e arritmia ventricular. Nossa hipótese é que a FM é um fator preditor independente de pior prognóstico na MC. Objetivos: Buscamos estabelecer o valor prognóstico da FM detectada pela RMC na predição de uma combinação de desfechos duros ou do desfecho secundário mortalidade por todas as causas. Adicionalmente, avaliamos se o valor prognóstico da FM é independente do Escore de Rassi. Métodos: Pacientes com MC foram incluídos retrospectivamente após a realização da RMC, que avaliou volumes e função cardíacos, além de quantificar a FM. Dados clínicos, de imagem e seguimento foram registrados, e o desfecho primário foi a combinação de mortalidade por todas as causas, transplante cardíaco, terapia antitaquicardia ou choque apropriado pelo cardiodesfibrilador implantável e morte súbita cardíaca abortada; o desfecho secundário foi mortalidade por todas as causas. Resultados: Foram incluídos no estudo130 pacientes, a maioria de mulher (53,9%), com idade média de 53,6±11,5 anos. A maioria dos pacientes (68,4%) não tinha sintomas de insuficiência cardíaca, apesar da dilatação ventricular esquerda (54%) e alterações da contratilidade (65,9%) serem comuns. A RMC mostrou dilatação do ventrículo esquerdo (volume diastólico final indexado médio de 118,6±50,5ml/m²) e disfunção sistólica (fração de ejeção média de 43,2±16,3%) e a FM foi identificada em 76,1%, massa média de 15,2±16,5g. Ao longo do seguimento médio de 6,8 anos, 58 (44,6%) pacientes atingiram o desfecho combinado e 45 (34,6%) faleceram. A MF associou-se ao desfecho primário como variável contínua (Razão de risco (RR) ajustada 1,031 (Intervalo de Confiança (IC) 95% 1,013-1,049; p=0.001) e nos pacientes com FM extensa ( >= 12,3g) (RR ajustado 2,107 (IC 95% 1,111-3,994I; p=0,022)) de forma independente ao Escore de Rassi. A FM expressa como variável contínua também se associou à morte por todas as causas (RRajustado1,028 (IC 95% 1,005-1,051; p=0,017)) de forma independente do Escore de Rassi, exceto quando analisada como variável categórica. Conclusões: A fibrose miocárdica é um preditor independente de pior prognóstico na miocardiopatia chagásica. Nossos dados apoiam o uso da RMC para estratificar melhor o risco nessa população e, possivelmente, guiar o tratamento / Background: Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC) portends worse prognosis than ischemic and other non-ischemic cardiomyopathies and carries a high economic burden. Myocardial fibrosis (MF) detected by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been demonstrated as an independent predictor of increased risk in several etiologies of heart failure. In CC, MF has been associated with know risk factors of poor outcome, such as left ventricular dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmia. We hypothesized that MF is an independent predictor of worse prognosis in CC. Objectives: we sought to determine the prognostic value of MF detected by CMR in predicting a combined endpoint of hard events or the secondary outcome of all-cause mortality. In addition, we evaluated if the prognostic value of MF is independent of the Rassi risk score. Methods: patients with CC were retrospectively followed after CMR evaluation of cardiac volumes, function and MF quantification. Clinical, imaging and follow-up data were recorded and the primary outcome was a combination of all-cause mortality, heart transplantation, anti-tachycardia pacing or appropriate shock from an implantable cardiac defibrillator and aborted sudden cardiac death; the secondary outcome was all-cause death. Results: 130 patients were included in the study, with a majority of females (53.9%) and a mean age of 53.6±11.5 years. Most patients (68.4%) had no symptoms of heart failure, even though left ventricular dilatation (54%) and wall-motion abnormalities (65.9%) were common. On CMR, left ventricular dilatation (mean end-diastolic volume index 118.6±50.5ml/m²) and dysfunction (mean ejection fraction 43.2±16.3%) were observed and MF was found in 76.1%, with a mean mass of 15.2±16.5g. Over a mean follow-up of > 6.2 years, 58 (44.6%) patients reached the combined endpoint and 45 (34.6%) patients died. Myocardial fibrosis mass was associated with the primary outcome both as continuous variable (adjusted HR 1.031 (1.013-1.049 95% CI; p=0.001) and in patients with extensive MF ( >= 12.3g) (adjusted HR 2.107 (1.111-3.994 95% CI; p=0.022), independently from the Rassi Score. Myocardial fibrosis mass expressed as a continuous variable was also associated with all-cause death (adjusted HR 1.028 (1.005-1.051 95% CI; p=0.017) independently from the Rassi Score, but not when analyzed as a categorical variable. Conclusions: Myocardial fibrosis is an independent predictor of adverse outcome in Chagas cardiomyopathy. Our data support the use of CMR in better stratifying risk in this population and possibly guiding therapy

Introdução: A história natural da insuficiência mitral associa-se a décadas de remodelação ventricular esquerda com fibrose intersticial. A fronteira entre o processo adaptativo e a miocardiopatia dilatada demanda avaliação clínico-histológica. Atualmente, sabe-se que o melhor método empregado para quantificar as alterações decorrentes do remodelamento que acomete o ventrículo esquerdo é a biópsia miocárdica, que analisa a doença, somente após a cirurgia ou no post mortem. O presente estudo visa avaliar a fibrose miocárdica associada à insuficiência mitral crônica, através de estudo pela Ressonância Magnética, de maneira não invasiva, precoce e rápida. Objetivos: Avaliar a capacidade e a aplicabilidade da ressonância magnética cardíaca de detectar a fibrose miocárdica na insuficiência mitral crônica importante, tendo como referência a biópsia miocárdica. Métodos: Foram selecionados 52 pacientes portadores de IM crônica pura ou associada a estenose mitral leve, com PVM e DR, e com indicação cirúrgica. Todos os pacientes foram reavaliados pelo EcoDopplercardiograma e realizaram ressonância magnética cardíaca para avaliação da função ventricular, volumes e índice de massa ventricular esquerda, através da cine-ressonância e pela técnica do realce tardio miocárdico, com injeção de 0,2 mmol/kg de contraste gadolínio para a detecção de FM, sendo submetidos a cirurgia de plástica ou troca de válvula mitral com bióspsias miocárdicas, retiradas de locais padrão, na parede lateral do ventrículo esquerdo. Todas foram coradas pela técnica do hematoxilinaeosina, e as positivas para FM, confirmadas pelo corante picrossirius, que cora colágeno, e quantificadas pelo aparelho do quantimet. Resultados: Os pacientes foram divididos em quatro grupos, conforme a RM e a biópsia. A RM diagnosticou FM em 18 pacientes, concordantes com a BM (RMC/BM +). A RM foi negativa para FM em 33 pacientes, sendo 28 concordantes com a BM (RMC/BM -). Observou-se discordância de RM com a BM, em 7 casos falsos negativos (RMC-/BM +). A sensibilidade da RMC à fibrose foi de 72%, especificidade de 100%, e acurácia de 86,3%. Nos grupos distintos estudados, a sensibilidade, especificidade e acurácia foram de 64,7%, 100% e 82,4%, respectivamente, na PVM, e de 97,5%, 100% e 92,9%, respectivamente, na DR. O índice Kappa foi de 0,724 (p<0,001) para o grupo total; 0,665 (p<0,001) para PVM e 0,857(p<0,001) na DR. VDF, VSF e IMVE tiveram correlação positiva e significativa com a porcentagem de fibrose, sendo que, quanto maiores esses valores, maior a porcentagem de fibrose. Conclusão: RMC teve boa concordância com a BM, em relação aos achados de FM / Introduction: The natural history of mitral insufficiency (MI) is associated to decades of left ventricular remodelation with intersticial fibrosis. The frontier between adaptative process and dilatade miocardiopaty needs clinic and histologic evaluation. Now a days , we know that the best method to quantify the alterations of remodelation in left ventricule is myocardial biopsies which analyses the illness only after surgery or post morten. This actual study aims to evaluate myocardial fibrosis associated with cronic MI, through the study with magnetic resonance (MR), in a not invasive, early and quickly way. Objectives: Evaluate capacity and applicability of the magnetic resonance in detection of myocardial fibrosis in chronic important mitral insufficiency in reference with myocardial biopsis. Methods: It was selected 52 patients with pure chronic MI or associated with mild mitral stenosis, with cirurgical indication. All of the patients were reevaluated by EcoDopplercardiogram and it was done cardiac MR to evaluate ventricular function, volumes and left ventricular mass rate through MR cine and myocardial late realce techinique with 0,2 mmol/Kg with gadoline contrast and myocardial fibrosis (MF) detection and being undergone plastic or mitral valvular changes surgery with myocardial biopsis (MB) were taken from the left ventricular lateral wall. All of them were colored with hematoxilin eosine and the positives were confirmated with picrossirius and quantified with quantimet device. Results: Patients were divided in four groups according to MR and biopsies. MR diagnosticated MF in 18 patients agreed with MB (MR / MB +). MR was negative for MF in 33 patients where 28 agreed with MB (MR / MB -). We observated discordance with MR and MB in 7 cases false negatives (MR- /MB+). The sensibility of MR to fibrosis was 72%, specificity was 100% and acurace was 86,3%. In the distinct groups studied, we see sensibility, specifity and acure were 64,7%, 100 % and 82,4% respectivity in PVM and 97,5%, 100% and 92,9% respectivity in reumathic disease. The Kappa indice is 0,714 (p<0,001) for the total group; 0,665 (p<0,001) for PMV and 0,857 (p<0,001) in RD. There is a positive correlation and significative between fibroses percentage with VDF, VSF, IMVE of the MR. So the higher the values, higher the fibrosis percentage. Conclusion: MR had a good concordance with MB in relation to found the MF in IMC