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Meinrad Beer

Publications and source records attributed to Meinrad Beer.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Non-invasive functional and biochemical assessment of mitoxantrone cardiotoxicity in patients with multiple sclerosis.

As mitoxantrone is a recently approved immunosuppressant for managing multiple sclerosis, the number of patients treated with this effective but potentially cardiotoxic anthracenedione derivative will increase substantially. To detect subclinical mitoxantrone-induced cardiotoxicity, sensitive non-invasive diagnostic tools are required. Assuming that changes in myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism and alterations in left ventricular (LV) diastolic performance might be early markers of mitoxantrone-induced cardiotoxicity we examined fifteen MS patients treated with mitoxantrone up to 100 mg/m2 compared with 15 matched control MS patients. 31P-magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy was employed to measure myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism, MR imaging for morphometric evaluation of changes in LV geometry. Indices of diastolic performance were assessed by Doppler echocardiography. In this exploratory study, phosphocreatine/ATP ratios were comparable between mitoxantrone-treated and control patients (1.48 +/- 0.23 and 1.43 +/- 0.41). LV mass, LV end-diastolic and systolic volumes, wall motion score, EF and cardiac output did not differ between both groups. All parameters of diastolic performance (E/A-ratio, isovolumic relaxation time, and E-wave deceleration time) were not different and within normal limits.In conclusion, using advanced diagnostic methodology, including functional, morphometric, and biochemical measurements no cardiotoxic effect of mitoxantrone up to a cumulative dose range of 100 mg/m2 could be detected.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Absolute concentrations of high-energy phosphate metabolites in normal, hypertrophied, and failing human myocardium measured noninvasively with (31)P-SLOOP magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to measure absolute concentrations of phosphocreatine (PCr) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in normal, hypertrophied, and failing human heart. BACKGROUND: Conflicting evidence exists on the extent of changes of high-energy phosphate metabolites in hypertrophied and failing human heart. Previous reports using phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS) have quantified metabolites in relative terms only. However, this analysis cannot detect simultaneous reductions. METHODS: Four groups of subjects (n = 10 each), were studied: volunteers and patients with hypertensive heart disease (HHD), aortic stenosis, and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Left ventricular (LV) function and mass were measured by cine magnetic resonance imaging. Absolute and relative concentrations of PCr and ATP were determined by (31)P-MRS with spatial localization with optimum point spread function. RESULTS: Left ventricular ejection fraction remained normal in HHD and aortic stenosis, but was severely reduced to 18% in DCM; LV mass was increased by 55%, 79%, and 68% respectively. In volunteers, PCr and ATP concentrations were 8.82 +/- 1.30 mmol/kg wet weight and 5.69 +/- 1.02 mmol/kg wet weight, and the PCr/ATP ratio was 1.59 +/- 0.33. High-energy phosphate levels were unaltered in HHD. In aortic stenosis, PCr was decreased by 28%, whereas ATP remained constant. In DCM, PCr was reduced by 51%, ATP by 35%, and reduction of the PCr/ATP ratio by 25% was of borderline significance (p = 0.06). Significant correlations were observed among energetic and functional variables, with the closest relations for PCr. CONCLUSIONS: In human heart failure due to DCM, both PCr and ATP are significantly reduced. Ratios of PCr to ATP underestimate changes of high-energy phosphate levels.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2002

Sodium T2* relaxation times in human heart muscle.

PURPOSE: To determine sodium transverse relaxation (T2*) characteristics for myocardium, blood and cartilage in humans. METHODS: T2* measurements were performed using a 3D ECG-gated spoiled gradient echo sequence. A 1.5 Tesla clinical scanner and a 23Na heart surface coil were used to examine eight healthy volunteers. In biological tissue, the sodium 23 nucleus exhibits a two-component T2 relaxation due to the spin 3/2 and its quadrupolar nature. The long T2* components of normal myocardium, blood, and cartilage were quantified. For myocardium, the T2* was determined separately for the septum, anterior wall, lateral wall, and posterior wall. RESULTS: The long T2* relaxation time components of 13.3 +/- 4.3 msec (septum 13.9 +/- 3.2 msec, anterior wall 13.8 +/- 5.4 msec, lateral wall 11.4 +/- 4.1 msec, posterior wall 14.1 +/- 3.7 msec), 19.3 +/- 3.3 msec, and 10.2 +/- 1.6 msec, were significantly different for myocardium, blood, and cartilage, respectively (P < 0.00001, Friedman's ANOVA). CONCLUSION: Measurement of 23Na T2* relaxation times is feasible for different regions of the human heart muscle, which might be useful for the evaluation of cardiac pathologies.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Effects of exercise training on left ventricular volumes and function in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy: application of magnetic resonance myocardial tagging.

BACKGROUND: Exercise training is now an accepted component of the therapeutic regimen in patients with heart failure and underlying ischemia, but few data are available on the effects of training in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: Twenty-four patients (mean age 55 +/- 9 years, mean ejection fraction 26.6% +/- 10%) were randomized to an exercise (n = 12) or a control (n = 12) group. Patients in the exercise group underwent 5 45-minute sessions of supervised training per week. Before and after the 2-month study period, exercise testing with respiratory gas exchange and lactate analysis was performed, left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction were measured with magnetic resonance imaging, and left ventricular rotation and relaxation velocities were measured with a novel magnetic resonance imaging tagging technique. RESULTS: Training resulted in increases in peak oxygen uptake (VO2) (21.7 +/- 4 mL/kg/min to 25.3 +/- 5 mL/kg/min, P <.05) and VO2 at the lactate threshold (12.8 +/- 4 mL/kg/min to 19.0 +/- 5 mL/kg/min, P <.01). No differences were observed within or between groups in left ventricular end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, or ejection fraction. Velocity of left ventricular rotation during systole was unchanged in both groups, and relaxation velocity was higher after training in the exercise group (21.2 +/- 5 degrees/s versus 29.7 +/- 12 degrees/s, P <.05). CONCLUSION: Training resulted in increases in peak VO2 and VO2 at the lactate threshold. Left ventricular volumes and systolic function (ie, ejection fraction and rotation velocity) were unchanged with training, suggesting that training in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy does not lead to further myocardial damage. However, the increase in relaxation velocity after exercise training indicates an improvement in diastolic function. The latter finding suggests an additional potential benefit of exercise training in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac Output, Low↗
PubMed2002

Cardiac systolic rotation and contraction before and after valve replacement for aortic stenosis: a myocardial tagging study using MR imaging.

OBJECTIVE: Aortic stenosis leads to the derangement of cardiac function and contraction mode because of chronic pressure overload that is relieved after surgical valve replacement. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in left ventricular systolic rotation and contraction using MR tagging in patients with aortic stenosis before and after surgical valve replacement compared with age-matched healthy volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with aortic stenosis were examined with an electrocardiographically triggered two-dimensional tagging sequence at 1.5 T before and 12 months after surgical valve replacement for the evaluation of wall function of the apical, mid ventricular, and basal levels. Eight healthy volunteers in the same age group served as the control group. RESULTS: Before surgery, all patients showed a significant increase of apical rotation (22.2 degrees +/- 5.9 degrees vs 10.3 degrees +/- 2.5 degrees, p < 0.0001) and overall left ventricular torsion (25.1 degrees +/- 6.6 degrees vs 14.5 degrees +/- 3.7 degrees, p < 0.001); basal rotation was not significantly different (-2.9 degrees +/- 2.1 degrees vs -4.2 degrees +/- 1.9 degrees, p = not significant) compared with the volunteer group. Apical rotation and torsion were negatively correlated with left ventricular mass (r = -0.73, p < 0.01, and r = -0.61, p < 0.05, respectively) and end-diastolic volume (r = -0.73, p < 0.01 and r = -0.64, p < 0.03, respectively). One year after surgery, basal rotation was reduced in the patients with aortic stenosis compared with the patients in the control group (-1.9 degrees +/- 1.8 degrees, p < 0.01). In comparison with preoperative values, apical rotation (14.2 degrees +/- 3.6 degrees, p < 0.01) also decreased but was still elevated, and this resulted in a normalization of left ventricular torsion (16.1 degrees +/- 3.7 degrees, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Surgical valve replacement for aortic stenosis leads to normalization of the left ventricular torsion 1 year after surgery. Pressure overload before surgery is associated with an increase of systolic left ventricular wringing motion, possibly serving as a compensatory mechanism. This mechanism declines with increasing left ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation.

Adult↗