Unenhanced echocardiography resulted in slight underestimation of EF and only moderate correlation compared with cineventriculography and MRI. Contrast echocardiography resulted in more accurate EF and significantly improved correlation with cineventriculography and MRI. Contrast echocardiography significantly improved inter-observer agreement on EF compared with unenhanced echocardiography. Inter-observer reliability on EF using contrast echocardiography reaches a level comparable to MRI and is better than those obtained by cineventriculography.

64-row CT may be more accurate than CVG, 2D Echo, and 3D Echo in comparison with MRI as the reference standard for assessment of global LV function.

Background— Immunoadsorption capable of removing circulating autoantibodies represents an additional therapeutic approach in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The role played by autoantibodies belonging to the immunoglobulin (Ig) subclass G-3 in cardiac dysfunction remains to be elucidated. Methods and Results— Patients with DCM (left ventricular ejection fraction <30%) participated in this case-control study. Nine patients underwent immunoadsorption with protein A (low affinity to IgG-3), and 9 patients were treated with anti-IgG, which removes all IgG subclasses. Immunoadsorption was performed in 4 courses at 1-month intervals until month 3. In the 2 groups, immunoadsorption induced comparable reduction of total IgG (>80%). IgG-3 was effectively eliminated only by anti-IgG adsorption (eg, during the first immunoadsorption course; protein A, −37±4%; anti-IgG, −89±3%; P <0.001 versus protein A). The β 1 -receptor autoantibody was effectively reduced only by anti-IgG ( P <0.01 versus protein A). Hemodynamics did not change in the protein A group. In the anti-IgG group during the first immunoadsorption course, cardiac index increased from 2.3±0.1 to 3.0±0.1 L · min −1 · m −2 ( P <0.01 versus protein A). After 3 months, before the last immunoadsorption course, cardiac index was 2.2±0.1 L · min −1 · m −2 in the protein A group and 3.0±0.2 L · min −1 · m −2 in the anti-IgG group ( P <0.01 versus protein A). Left ventricular ejection fraction increased only in the anti-IgG group ( P <0.05 versus protein A). Conclusions— Autoantibodies belonging to IgG-3 may play an important role in cardiac dysfunction of DCM. The removal of antibodies of the IgG-3 subclass may represent an essential mechanism of immunoadsorption in DCM.