| Abstract: | AIM: To evaluate sympathetic nervous system activity of the heart in patients with bronchial asthma (BA) given beta-adrenomimetics (BAM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 27 patients with moderate BA (13 patients in an acute phase and 14 patients in remission) treated with BAM and 13 healthy people were examined by using 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial planar scintigraphy and estimating the washout rate, early (15-min) and late (240-min) uptake; single-photon emission computed tomography; assessment of MIBG distribution in the left ventricular myocardium, catecholamine excretion with urine. RESULTS: It was found that the MIBG washout rate was significantly higher in asthmatic patients especially in the acute period. The cardiac MIBG uptake was significantly lower in the group of patients with impaired cardiac sympathetic activity. More inhomogeneous myocardial MIBG uptake also occurred in the asthmatic group. Norepinephrine and epinephrine excretion was significantly higher in patients with bronchial asthma and cathecholamine and MIBG excretions correlated. CONCLUSION: Cardiac functional sympathetic activity impairment in asthmatic patients was shown by increased MIBG washout rate and reduced myocardial MIBG uptake, more inhomogeneous substance distribution in the left ventricular myocardium and higher catecholamine excretion levels reflecting sympathetic nervous activity intensification. |
