Vol 95, No 4 (2023)

Magnetic resonance imaging – is high precision method for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. Simultaneously with the anatomy and function of the right ventricle, magnetic resonance imaging allows to assess the pulmonary circulation, which leads to the widespread use of this method in the diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The article is devoted to the assessment of cardiac remodeling and risk stratification of this group of patients. Special attention is given to new prognostic parameters included in the scale for risk stratification of patients with pulmonary hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society 2022.

Aim. To assess the joint prognostic value of periprocedural dynamics of the left ventricular ejection fraction (PPD of LVEF) and subclinical pulmonary congestion during lung stress ultrasound in patients with first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in relation to the development of heart failure (HF) in the postinfarction period.

Materials and methods. Our prospective, single-centre, observational study included 105 patients with a first MI with no HF in the anamnesis and successful PCI. All patients underwent standard clinical and laboratory tests, NT-proBNP level assessment, echocardiography, lung stress ultrasound with a 6-minute walk test. All patients had no clinical signs of heart failure at admission and at discharge. Criteria for PPD of LV EF: improvement in LV EF≥50%; ∆LV EF more than 5%, but LV EF<50%. According to the results of lung stress ultrasound, pulmonary congestion was diagnosed: mild (2–4 B-lines), moderate (5–9 B-lines) and severe (≥10 B-lines). The end point was hospitalization for HF for 2.5 years.

Results. Upon admission, LV EF of 50% or more was registered in 45 patients (42.9%). Positive PPD was registered in 31 (29.5%) patients. After stress ultrasound of the lungs, 20 (19%) patients had mild subclinical pulmonary congestion, 38 (36%) moderate and 47 (45%) severe according to the criteria presented. During the observation period, patients with no PPD of LVEF were significantly more likely to be hospitalized for the development of HF (in 44.4% of cases) compared with patients with positive PPD (in 15.2% of cases) and with initial LV EF≥50% (in 13.4% of cases; p=0.005). When performing logistic regression analysis, the best predictive ability was found in the combination of the absence of PPD of LV EF and the sum of B-lines ≥10 on exercise (relative risk 7.45; 95% confidence interval 2.55–21.79; p<0.000).

Conclusion. Evaluation of the combination of PPD of LV EF and the results of stress lung ultrasound at discharge in patients with first AMI and successful PCI with no HF in anamnesis allows us to identify a high-risk group for the development of HF in the postinfarction period.

Aim. To study myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) using volumetric computed tomography (VCT) of the heart with a pharmacological test with adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Materials and methods. The study included 93 patients, of which 18 had CAD with DM, and 50 had CAD without DM. All patients underwent one of the stress tests, cardiac VCT with ATP test, invasive coronary angiography, or CT coronary angiography. Left ventricle (LV) myocardial perfusion was evaluated for hypoperfusion zones and the calculation of semi-quantitative indices: decrease of LV myocardial density, LV myocardial perfusion index, transmural perfusion coefficient, and our proposed new indicator – myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR).

Results. The MPR index value in the hypoperfusion zones in patients with CAD and DM was 0.64 [0.62–0.66], in patients with CAD without diabetes 0.65 [0.63–0.66]; p=0.4; the value of the transmural perfusion coefficient in the areas of abnormal LV myocardial perfusion in patients with CAD and DM was 0.81 [0.80–0.86] versus 0.83 [0.80–0.85] in patients with CAD without DM (p=0.6). More hypoperfusion segments were observed in patients with CAD and DM (33.3%) compared to those without DM (14%; p=0.029). The MPR index in the hypoperfusion zones in patients with CAD with intact coronary arteries (CA) and DM was 0.56 [0.54–0.60] versus 0.55 [0.54–0.62] in patients with CAD with intact CA without DM; p=0.2.

Conclusion. In patients with CAD and type 2 DM, according to the VCT with ATP test, more foci hypoperfusion areas were detected, regardless of the severity of coronary artery involvement, compared with patients with CAD without DM, which may be due to the microangiopathy in the myocardium. The similarity of the MPR parameters in the hypoperfusion zones associated with hemodynamic stenosis of the CA and with intact CAs indicates the ischemic genesis of these zones.

For citation: Soboleva GN, Minasyan AA, Gaman SA, Rogoza AN, Molina LP, Soboleva TV, Shariya MA, Ternovoy SK, Karpov YuA. Type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease: features of perfusion volume computed tomography of the heart in a pharmacological test with adenosine triphosphate. Terapevticheskii Arkhiv (Ter. Arkh.). 2023;95(4):309–315. DOI: 10.26442/00403660.2023.04.202158

Aim. To analyze the anti-inflammatory efficacy of Regasthym Gastro (alpha-glutamyl-tryptophan) in the treatment of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis according to endoscopic and morphometric studies.

Materials and methods. As part of a double-blind placebo-controlled study, the results of gastroscopy and histological (morphometric) studies were retrospective analyzed in 80 patients diagnosed with chronic atrophic gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori in exacerbation: 43 patients took Regasthym Gastro, 37 patients – placebo. The conclusions of the gastroscopy were structured in the form of a standardized scale, which included an assessment of criteria in points (from 0 to 3): thickness of folds, hyperemia, edema of the gastric mucosa, the signs of atrophy, metaplasia; the severity of the erosive process. The sum of points according to all criteria was used to assess the dynamics of the inflammatory process: positive dynamics; lack of dynamics; the pathological process is progressing. The results of the endoscopic examination were compared with morphometry data (the number of inflammation pool cells per 1 mm² of gastric mucosa). Statistical processing of the results was carried out using the Statistica 12 application software package.

Results. According to the gastroscopy, before therapy, hyperemia of the gastric mucosa was present in 82.5%, edema – in 53.8%, erosion – in 17.5%, signs of metaplasia – in 12.5% of patients. After therapy with the investigated drug a statistically significant decrease in the severity of edema of the gastric mucosa (p=0.008), the total set of signs of acute inflammatory process (p=0.006), a decrease in the proportion of outcomes with negative dynamics of the inflammatory process (p=0.038) was revealed. Statistically significant (p<0.05) correlations were found between gastroscopy data of inflammation and the number of neutrophil, eosinophil granulocytes, macrophages and lymphocytes per 1 mm².

Conclusion. Regasthym Gastro contributes to a significant decrease in the severity of the inflammatory process according to the evaluation of the results of gastroscopy and morphometry. It is possible to recommend the inclusion of this drug in the complex therapy of chronic gastritis to increase the effectiveness and reduce the risks of progression of inflammation.

Diagnosis and treatment of myocarditis can be challenging, including determining indications for heart transplantation. We present a 6-year medical history of a 54 years old patient with severe morphologically verified viral-negative lymphocytic myocarditis and systemic manifestations (onset of hemorrhagic vasculitis) combined with moderate coronary atherosclerosis, which regressed according to repeated coronary angiography. For 5 years, the patient received immunosuppressive therapy with methylprednisolone and azathioprine with a significant improvement. Repeated relapses of atrial fibrillation required correction of basic therapy and plasmapheresis. The disease was complicated by thyrotoxicosis and multi-organ dysfunction; the autopsy showed persistent myocarditis activity. The myocarditis is a chronic condition and requires a review of the treatment strategy at each stage.

The article describes the main methods of assessment of physiological significance of coronary artery stenoses, their use in clinical practice and future perspectives. New diagnostic methods that are currently under research are discussed.

The article discusses the stages of formation and development of ultrasound diagnostics, including those with contrast enhancement. The main types of contrast agents and their mechanism of action are presented. Examples of the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in various fields of medicine are given. The prospects of the method and its place in clinical practice are discussed.

In April 2023, a well-known therapist and cardiologist, a leading specialist in the study of pathogenetic mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of arterial hypertension, Vice-President of the Russian Medical Society for Arterial Hypertension, Professor Valery Ivanovich Podzolkov celebrated his anniversary