Impaired cardiac and vascular motion in patients with Takayasu’s arteritis: A velocity vector imaging-based study

Abstract

Objective: Takayasu’s arteritis (TAK) is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis of the aorta and its major branch-es. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the motion of the vascular wall and myocardial contrac-tility by using a novel strain imaging method, velocity vector imaging (VVI), in patients with TAK. We alsoaimed to compare them with another inflammatory autoimmune disorder, systemic lupus erythema-tosus (SLE).Methods: We studied 33 patients with TAK, 18 patients with SLE, and 20 age- and sex-matched controls.All participants were subjected to carotid artery Doppler ultrasonography and transthoracic echocar-diographic evaluation. VVI analysis was also performed to assess subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolicdysfunction and to determine tissue motion of the common carotid arteries (CCAs).Results: Aortic strain and distensibility were significantly impaired in patients with TAK, while the aorticstiffness and carotid artery stiffness indexes were increased. Aortic distensibility was the only parameterthat was decreased among SLE patients. The values of CCA peak longitudinal strain, strain rate, andtotal longitudinal displacement (TLD) were also impaired in patients with TAK. Peak radial velocity wasdecreased while time-to-peak radial velocity was increased. In the SLE group, peak longitudinal strain,strain rate, TLD, and peak radial velocity were impaired. LV longitudinal peak systolic strain and strainrate were reduced in patients with TAK. Similarly, we revealed impaired subclinical LV systolic functionin patients with SLE.Conclusion: VVI is a novel strain imaging technique with additional value to determine early impairmentin vascular and myocardial wall motion in patients with TAK.