Myocardial Collagen Type I and Impaired Left
Ventricular Function under Exercise in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Background: Transaortic subvalvular myectomy (TSM) reduces left ventricular outflow tract gradient and improves symptoms and working capacity in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Nevertheless, TSM does not completely restore normal ventricular function, and some patients complain of symptoms despite optimal surgical results. Abnormal myocardial collagen structure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy might be an indicator of impaired cardiac function. Methods: Nine patients with HOCM were investigated. Myocytic diameter, collagen volume fraction and light absorbance of immunohistochemically stained collagen subtype I and its product (Coll I_prod) were measured quantitatively in myectomy specimens. Patients underwent symptom-limited bicycle exercise testing with equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography to determine ejection fraction (EF). Right heart catheterization was performed simultaneously in order to measure pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) as a parameter of global ventricular diastolic filling and cardiac index (CI) as a parameter of functional capacity. Results: Postoperatively, CI increased from 3.1 ± 0.4 to 5.7 ± 1.3 l/min/m² under exercise. EF was normal at rest (64 ± 9 %) but did not increase significantly under exercise (66 ± 14 %). Coll I_prod (13.62 ± 7.35 Vv%_prod) correlated inversely with EF under exercise (r = - 0.64; p = 0.05). PCWP increased under exercise from 8 ± 2 mmHg at rest to 22 ± 9 mmHg (p = 0.01). Coll I_prod correlated with PCWP under exercise (r = 0.90; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Increased collagen subtype I is a predictor of diastolic as well as systolic dysfunction under exercise in patients with HCM after successful TSM.

Key words

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - Collagen - Ventricular function

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1 This paper is dedicated to the 65^th anniversary of Prof. Hagen D. Schulte