3D echocardiography, arterial stiffness, and biomarkers in early diagnosis and prediction of CHOP-induced cardiotoxicity in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) represents standard chemotherapy in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with risk of cardiotoxicity. To define new parameters, such as 3D myocardial deformation, arterial stiffness, and biomarkers for early diagnosis and prediction of cardiotoxicity. 110 NHL patients with LVEF > 50%, scheduled for CHOP, were evaluated at baseline, after third cycle and chemotherapy completion.

Left Ventricular Systolic Function in Pregnant Women with Inherited Thrombophilia.

The impact of the gestational changes on left ventricular contractility is not clearly defined. Our aim was to evaluate the subtle changes of left ventricular systolic function during pregnancy, assessed by new echocardiographic techniques, in a population tested for inherited thrombophilia. Eighty seven consecutive pregnant women, with a mean age of 32±4 years, genetically tested for inherited thrombophilia (22 with thrombophilic mutations and risk of thrombosis and 65 without significant mutations, considered as the control group) were included.

Surface ECG criteria can discriminate post-septal pacing cardiac memory from ischemic T wave inversions.

Unlabelled: Cardiac memory (CM) refers to transient T wave changes that appear after cessation of a period of abnormal ventricular activation, such as right ventricular (RV) pacing. ECG criteria for differentiating post-pacing CM from ischemia-induced T wave changes were previously published only for apical, but not for septal RV pacing.

Aim: To find ECG criteria for discriminating post-septal pacing CM from ischemic T wave inversions.

Therapeutic Implications of Inherited Thrombophilia in Pregnancy.

Background: Inherited (hereditary) thrombophilia is a genetic disorder that affects coagulation, being responsible for more than 60% of idiopathic (spontaneous or unprovoked) thromboembolic events. Association of inherited thrombophilia with pregnancy increases the risk of thromboembolic disease, and it may be related to many complications, such as preeclampsia, recurrent miscarriage intrauterine growth restriction, early detachment of placenta, and prematurity.

Areas Of Uncertainty: Interpretation of a positive test for thrombophilia in pregnant women is difficult because they have many natural changes in the coagulation system.

Regional Mechanical Changes Assessed by 2D Speckle-Tracking Longitudinal Strain do not Parallel Electrical Post-Pacing Cardiac Memory.

Background: Cardiac memory (CM) refers to persistent T-wave changes that appear after cessation of a period of abnormal ventricular activation, such as ventricular pacing. Prior animal studies using tagged magnetic resonance imaging have suggested that CM is associated with prolonged action potential duration and increased strain of late-activated myocardial segments.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to determine whether CM induced by ventricular pacing in human subjects is accompanied by regional mechanical changes in late-activated myocardial segments, assessed by left ventricular (LV) longitudinal strain (peak LS) and time-to-peak longitudinal strain (TTP-LS), using 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSE).