Background and Aims
Patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD) may present right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and increased pulmonary artery pressure (PA). The aim of the current study is to describe the RV-PA coupling in chronic patients on HD.
Method
This study explored the adequacy of RV-PA coupling in 41 patients on HD. They underwent a comprehensive transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, and were stratified in accordance with the severity of RV remodeling defined by the presence of RV dilation (tricuspid annulus ≥40 mm) and RV systolic dysfunction (tricuspid annulus systolic excursion plane [TAPSE] <17 mm). RV-PA coupling was estimated by the TAPSE to PA systolic pressure (TAPSE:PASP) ratio.
Results
Three groups of patients were identified: No RV remodeling (Group 1, n=26), mild-to-moderate RV remodeling (Group 2, n=11) and severe RV remodeling (Group 3, n=4). Compared to patients from Groups 1 and 2, patients from Group 3 exhibited significant lower TAPSE values (p<0.001), a tendency to higher PASP values (p=0.054) and significant lower TAPSE:PASP ratio values (p=0.012). C-reactive protein levels and were directly correlated with PASP (r=0.405, p=0.017) and inversely with TAPSE (r=-0.311, p=0.041) and the TAPSE:PASP ratio (r= -0.392, p=0.015) in all patients. These echocardiographic parameters were not correlated with other biochemical, hemodynamic or anthropometric parameters.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that RV-PA coupling is markedly decreased in HD patients with severe RV remodeling. The role of systemic inflammation in RV remodeling and RV-PA uncoupling in HD patients warrants further studies.
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