Ultrasonic Backscatter and Serum Marker of Cardiac Fibrosis in Hypertensives

Abstract

Elevations in the serum concentration of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I (PIP) >127 μg/L have been found to predict severe myocardial fibrosis in hypertensive patients. This study was designed to assess whether ultrasonic reflectivity, evaluated by a real-time integrated backscatter analysis, was related to the severity of myocardial fibrosis as estimated by serum PIP. Thirty-four subjects were included in the study. Serum PIP was measured by specific radio immunoanalysis. Backscatter cyclic variation and maximal intensity were measured in 6 regions throughout the left ventricle. The subjects were divided into 3 groups: 14 normotensives with PIP P 127 μg/L in hypertensives, with a relative risk of 2.50 (95% CI, 0.72 to 34.70). These results show an association between diminished cyclic variation of backscatter and increased serum concentration of PIP in hypertension. Thus, the combination of these 2 parameters may be useful for the diagnosis of severe myocardial fibrosis associated with hypertension.