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IntroductionRight ventricular (RV) fibrosis represents both adaptive and maladaptive responses to the overloaded RV condition. Its role in pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD), which is the most common adult congenital heart disease (CHD), remains poorly understood.MethodsWe enrolled 65 participants aged ≥18 years old with uncorrected secundum ASD who had undergone clinically indicated right heart catheterization (RHC), divided into the non-PH group (n = 7), PH group (n = 42), and Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) group (n = 16). We conducted cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging, native T1 mapping, and extracellular volume (ECV) measurement to evaluate the extent and clinical correlates of RV fibrosis.ResultsLGE was present in 94% of the population and 86% of the non-PH group, mostly located at the right ventricular insertion point (RVIP) regions. LGE in the septal and inferior RV region was predominantly observed in the ES group compared to the other groups (p = 0.031 and p

Objectives: This study aimed to identify risk factors for recurrence in patients with cervical cancer (CC) through quantitative T1 mapping. Methods: A cohort of 107 patients histopathologically diagnosed with CC at our institution between May 2018 and April 2021 was categorized into surgical and nonsurgical groups. Patients in each groupwere further divided into recurrence and nonrecurrence subgroups depending onwhether they showed recurrence ormetastasis within 3 years of treatment. The longitudinal relaxation time (native T1) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the tumor were calculated. The differences between native T1 and ADC values of the recurrence and non-recurrence subgroups were analyzed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn for parameters with statistical differences. Logistic regression was performed for analysis of significant factors affecting CC recurrence. Recurrence-free survival rateswere estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using the log-rank test. Results: Thirteen and 10 patients in the surgical and non-surgical groups, respectively, showed recurrence after treatment. There were significant differences in native T1 values between the recurrence and non-recurrence subgroups in the surgical and non-surgical groups (P<0.05); however, there was no difference in ADC values (P>0.05). The areas under the ROC curve of native T1 values for discriminating recurrence of CC after surgical and non-surgical treatment were 0.742 and 0.780, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that native T1 values were risk factors for tumor recurrence in the surgical and non-surgical groups (P=0.004 and0.040, respectively). Compared withcut-offs, recurrence-free survival curves of patients with higher native T1 values of the two groups were significantly different fromthose with lower ones (P=0.000 and 0.016, respectively). Conclusion: Quantitative T1 mapping could help identify CC patients with a high risk of recurrence, supplementing information on tumor prognosis other than clinicopathological features and providing the basis for individualized treatment and follow-up schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe role of high-flow arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in cardiovascular morbidity in hemodialysis (HD) patients is very likely under-recognized. We assessed the relationship between high access flow (Qa) and myocardial fibrosis in HD patients.MethodsMyocardial fibrosis was assessed by native T1 relaxation times on non-contrast cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and a potential marker of fibrosis. Serum levels of galectin-3, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) were measured in 101 HD patients who underwent regular monitoring of AVF Qa. A high-flow AVF was defined as a Qa >2 L/min.ResultsHemodialysis patients showed significantly higher galectin-3 value and increased T1 relaxation time compared to healthy volunteers, suggesting increased myocardial fibrosis in uremic cardiomyopathy. In HD patients, 20 (19.8%) had a Qa > 2L/min, and they had significantly higher cardiac output, cardiac index, left ventricular mass, and increased T1 times than those with a Qa ≤ 2 L/min. Also, serum galectin-3 and NT-proBNP levels were much higher in the high Qa group, indicating a close relationship between the high Qa, increased myocardial fibrosis, and the risk of heart failure (HF) in HD patients. It is interesting that a higher AVF Qa for myocardial fibrosis was independent of several traditional cardiovascular risk factors as well as serum levels of NT-proBNP and MCP-1.ConclusionsA supra-physiologically high Qa can be related to myocardial fibrosis and increased risk of HF in HD patients. Regular Qa monitoring could allow early detection of a high-flow AVF that could arise cardiac complications.

Background: Diffuse myocardial fibrosis is a common pathological process in many cardiovascular diseases. In order to determine disease, we must have standard normal imaging values. We investigated myocardial interstitial fibrosis of the left ventricle (LV) in a healthy population of Chinese adults and explored the impact of gender, age, and other physiological factors using a T1 mapping technique of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).Materials and Methods: We recruited 69 healthy adult Chinese subjects (35 males; age 18–76). LV function and global strain were obtained from functional imaging. T1 mapping was performed using a modified look-locker sequence. Global and segmental native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) were calculated using dedicated software. Gender, age, and segmental variation of both native myocardial T1 and ECV of the LV were analyzed.Results: The global myocardial native T1 and ECV of the LV in this Chinese adult healthy population was 1,202 ± 45 ms and 27 ± 3% at 3T field strength, respectively. Females had a higher myocardial native T1 and ECV of the LV compared to males [1,210 (1,188–1,264) ms vs. 1,182 (1,150–1,211) ms, P < 0.001; 28 ± 3 vs. 26 ± 3%, P = 0.027, respectively]. ECV in older group was higher than younger group [27 (26–29)% vs. 25 (24–29), P = 0.019]. The multi-variate linear regression analysis showed that only gender (Beta = −0.512, P < 0.001) was independently related with global native T1 of LV while gender (Beta = −0.278, P = 0.017) and age (Beta = 0.303, P = 0.010) were independently related with global ECV of LV. From the base to apex of the LV, myocardial native T1 (P = 0.020) and ECV (P < 0.001) significantly increased. Within the same slice of the LV, there were significant segmental variations of both myocardial native T1 (P < 0.001) and ECV (P < 0.001) values.Conclusion: Gender and age have significant impacts on the imaging markers of myocardial interstitial fibrosis in healthy adult Chinese volunteers. Segmental variation of myocardial interstitial fibrosis was also observed.

Background: Diffuse myocardial fibrosis is a common pathological process in many cardiovascular diseases. In order to determine disease, we must have standard normal imaging values. We investigated myocardial interstitial fibrosis of the left ventricle (LV) in a healthy population of Chinese adults and explored the impact of gender, age, and other physiological factors using a T1 mapping technique of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Materials and Methods: We recruited 69 healthy adult Chinese subjects (35males; age 18-76). LV function and global strain were obtained from functional imaging. T1 mapping was performed using a modified look-locker sequence. Global and segmental native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) were calculated using dedicated software. Gender, age, and segmental variation of both native myocardial T1 and ECV of the LV were analyzed. Results: The global myocardial native T1 and ECV of the LV in this Chinese adult healthy population was 1,202 ± 45ms and 27 ± 3% at 3T field strength, respectively. Females had a higher myocardial native T1 and ECV of the LV compared to males [1,210 (1,188-1,264) ms vs. 1,182 (1,150-1,211) ms, P < 0.001; 28 ± 3 vs. 26 ± 3%, P = 0.027, respectively]. ECV in older group was higher than younger group [27 (26-29)% vs. 25 (24-29), P = 0.019]. The multi-variate linear regression analysis showed that only gender (Beta = -0.512, P < 0.001) was independently related with global native T1 of LV while gender (Beta = -0.278, P = 0.017) and age (Beta = 0.303, P = 0.010) were independently related with global ECV of LV. From the base to apex of the LV, myocardial native T1 (P = 0.020) and ECV (P < 0.001) significantly increased. Within the same slice of the LV, there were significant segmental variations of both myocardial native T1 (P < 0.001) and ECV (P < 0.001) values. Conclusion: Gender and age have significant impacts on the imaging markers of myocardial interstitial fibrosis in healthy adult Chinese volunteers. Segmental variation of myocardial interstitial fibrosis was also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]