Myocardial function in offspring 5-8years after pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia

Introduction

Preeclampsia and diabetic pregnancies share pathophysiological features suggested to influence epigenetic changes during foetal life with importance for later development and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

Aim

Our objective was to study the myocardium in offspring after pregnancy complications.

Methods

Forty-five children (age 5-8 years) delivered from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (n = 25), diabetes mellitus type 1 (n = 8) or gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 12) were included. Fifteen children from uneventful pregnancies served as controls. Myocardial functions of right and left ventricle were examined by conventional Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).

Results

No major differences were found in the myocardial function between offspring of pregnancy complications and control group. However, the preeclampsia group had smaller hearts, increased heart rate and increased late diastolic velocity (A′-wave) at mitral valve attachments shown by both pulsed wave and colour TDI compared to the control and diabetic groups together (p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion

Children born after preeclampsia may show effects of a negative impact on the heart already at the age of 5 to 8 years. The numbers of examined children were, however, limited.     

Tei指数对不同程度冠状动脉病变患者右心功能的评价

目的:探讨Tei指数检测不同程度冠状动脉病变患者右心功能变化的临床应用价值。方法:采用组织多普勒显像技术对30例正常对照组、30例冠状动脉造影阴性组(狭窄<50%)、30例轻度冠状动脉狭窄组(狭窄50%～74%),30例中度冠状动脉病变组(75%～94%)进行三尖瓣环右室室间隔及游离壁Tei指数测定。结果:冠状动脉造影阴性组Tei指数与正常对照组比较不存在显著差异,轻度冠状动脉狭窄组及中度冠状动脉狭窄组Tei指数显著高于正常对照组(P<0.05)。结论:冠状动脉病变患者右心功能亦受损,Tei指数能用于评价右心功能受损情况。     

A generalised framework for super-resolution track-weighted imaging

Track-density imaging (TDI) was recently introduced as a method to achieve super-resolution imaging using whole-brain fibre-tracking data (the so called tractogram). A similar approach to achieve super-resolution was later applied for average pathlength mapping (APM). These two methods have in common that the tractogram information is used to create an image with novel contrast and super-resolution properties. In this study, we present a generalised framework for creating super-resolution track-weighted imaging (TWI), where the intensity of the map can be made dependent on any specific property of the streamlines or their set of spatial coordinates. Furthermore, each contrast can be determined by a number of characteristics that are under user control. It is shown that TDI and APM represent specific cases of this generalised framework, and that this framework opens up the possibility of generating a large range of images with novel image contrasts. Finally, it is shown that the same super-resolution principles as those introduced in the original TDI method are also applicable to any of these new images.     

基于TDICCD的动态成像实验

目的延迟积分型电荷耦合器件（time delay integration and charge coupled device,TDI CCD）灵敏度高,并在低照度下具有获得高质量图像的特点,已成为齿科全景数字化成像系统开发的关键技术。在成像过程中要想得到清晰图像,必须正确使用TDI CCD。方法本文采用FCFR-USB9825B系列采集卡等搭建的动态成像装置进行实验,通过改变TDI CCD积分方向和积分时间,采集到不同图像。结果通过对比图像,发现在TDI CCD使用过程中,TDI CCD的积分方向必须与成像物体移动方向保持一致。TDI CCD积分时间与物体移动速度必须匹配,即二者的乘积等于像元尺寸。结论本实验为基于TDI CCD的全景齿科成像奠定了成像理论基础。     

Imaging in Heart Transplant Patients

Heart transplantation is an accepted treatment for select patients with end-stage heart failure. Improvements to immunosuppressive therapies and patient management have increased the half-life of heart transplant patients to over 10 years. Despite this success, rejection remains the “Achilles heel” of heart transplantation. The early detection of acute rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy are paramount to avoiding graft loss. Unlike in kidney and liver transplantation, there are no clinically validated biomarkers for detecting heart transplant rejection. Existing methods for monitoring the cardiac allograft are invasive. The endomyocardial biopsy is the standard-of-care for monitoring for acute rejection but carries risks of complications, and histologic assessment is often subjective. Equally, intracoronary angiography remains the standard-of-care for detecting cardiac allograft vasculopathy, but it is invasive and less than ideally sensitive. Newer echocardiographic techniques, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography are less invasive than conventional biopsy and show promise in excluding rejection thereby potentially decreasing the frequency of biopsies in low-risk patients. Intravascular ultrasonography and optical coherence tomography, although still invasive, improve on the assessment of the coronary tree through increased resolution, evaluation of the microvasculature, and visualization of the vessel wall. This review outlines the invasive and noninvasive imaging modalities that are employed in the routine care of heart transplant patients and examines newer techniques that are under evaluation.     

超声心动图新技术评价妊娠妇女心脏功能

超声心动图是目前无创评价妊娠期妇女心脏功能的重要手段,近年来各种超声新技术,如声学定量（AQ）、Tei指数（Tei- index）、组织多普勒成像（TDI）、应变率成像（SRI）、定量组织速度成像（QTVI）、实时三维超声心动图（RT-3DE）的综合应用,为临床正 确及时判断正常妊娠与妊娠期高血压妇女心脏功能改变提供更加丰富的预示指标,对提高母亲及围产儿生存率有重要临床和社会意义。