Exercise-related periodic breathing independently predicts cardiac mortality in CHF patients considered for heart transplantation.

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Myocyte diameter, fractional area of collagen, intensity of myocarditis and parasite persistence (explored by immunohistochemistry and PCR) were evaluated in serial sections of endomyocardial biopsies from 29 outpatients with chronic chagasic cardiopathy. The patients, 25 males and four females with a mean (S.D.) age of 43 (9) years, were subsequently followed up for 3-2861 days (median=369 days). During this follow-up, 16 (55%) of the patients died. The biopsies revealed myocarditis in 25 (86%) of the patients and high-grade myocarditis in 14 (56%). Although immunohistochemistry failed to demonstrate Trypanosoma cruzi antigens in any of the samples, five (33%) of the 15 biopsies successfully tested in the PCR-based assay for T. cruzi DNA were found positive, indicating parasite persistence. There was a significant positive association between myocardial parasite persistence and high-grade myocarditis (P=0.014); five (71%) of the seven endomyocardial biopsies with high-grade myocarditis that were successfully tested in the PCR assays showed persistent T. cruzi DNA. The survival time of the patients was not, however, found to be significantly associated with myocardial parasite persistence, any of the morphometric measurements taken, or the presence or intensity of myocarditis.

It has been demonstrated that there is an association between serum lipoproteins and survival rate in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, as well as in patients with non-ischemic causes of heart failure. We tested the hypothesis of an association between serum lipoprotein levels and prognosis in a cohort of outpatients with heart failure, including Chagas' heart disease. The lipid profile of 833 outpatients with heart failure in functional classes III and IV of the New York Heart Association, with a mean age of 46.9 ± 10.6 years, 655 (78.6%) men and 178 (21.4%) women, was studied from April 1991 to June 2003. The survival rate was estimated by the Kaplan-Meyer's method and the Cox proportional hazards models. Etiology of heart failure was ischemic cardiomyopathy in 171 (21%) patients, Chagas' heart disease in 144 (17%), hypertensive cardiomyopathy in 136 (16%), and other etiologies in 83 (10%). In 299 (36%) patients, heart failure was ascribed to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Variables significantly associated with mortality were age (hazard ratio, HR = 1.02; 95%CI = 1.01-1.03; P = 0.0074), male gender (HR = 1.77; 95%CI = 1.2-2.62; P = 0.004), idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (HR = 1.81; 95%CI = 1.16-2.82; P = 0.0085), serum triglycerides (HR = 0.97; 95%CI = 0.96-0.98; P < 0.0001), and HDL cholesterol (HR = 0.99; 95%CI = 0.99-1.0; P = 0.0280). Therefore, higher serum HDL cholesterol and higher serum triglycerides were associated with lower mortality in this cohort of outpatients with heart failure.

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a therapeutic option, although little used, with only one report of heterotopic transplantation reported in the literature. Case ReportThe patient is a 50-year-old white female, housewife, born in the town of São Sebastião, in the state of Alagoas, who was referred to InCor in 1996, complaining of enlargement of the abdominal volume associated with lower limb edema for 3 years. The patient reported dyspnea associated with huge ascites, which improved with relief punctures performed every 20-30 days, even though she was using diuretics. The patient underwent investigation for hepatopathy in the gastroenterology unit of the Hospital das Clínicas. Once the viral, alcoholic and schistosomal etiologies were excluded, the patient was referred to InCor with the diagnostic hypothesis of chronic hepatopathy secondary to right heart failure. On admission, the physical examination showed significant jugular venous distension, irregular cardiac rhythm with a blood pressure of 140/80 mmHg, and heart rate of 80 bpm. Her pulmonary auscultation was normal. The patient had voluminous ascites with significant lower limb edema. The electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation and right bundle-branch block. The laboratory tests were normal.The echocardiogram showed a dilated and hypokinetic right ventricle, with a diastolic diameter of 3.8 cm, and left ventricular diastolic diameter and ejection fraction of 4.5 cm and 73%, respectively. The right atrium was enlarged. The pericardium was thickened with a mild effusion. The atrioventricular valvular filling was of the protodiastolic type with the E wave greater than the A wave. The clinical diagnostic hypothesis of severe restrictive cardiomyopathy with right predominance and significant tricuspid insufficiency was established.The patient underwent cardiac catheterization, which showed coronary circulation without obstructive lesions, a normal left ventricle, and loss of the right ventricular intracavitary geography and amputation of the right ventricular trabecular region, suggesting the diagnosis of right ventricular endomyocardial fibrosis.As the patient remained symptomatic with refractory ascites, requiring relief punctures every 15 days, surgical treatment was chosen, with resection of the right ventricular endomyocardial fibrosis and DeVega tricuspid valve annuloplasty.The anatomicopathological examination of the surgical specimen confirmed the clinical and surgical impression, revealing "dense fibrosis of the endocardium, with a band containing neoformed vessels and calcified areas, an aspect compatible with endomyocardial fibrosis".

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