The relation between myocardial cyclic variation of integrated backscatter and serum concentrations of procollagen propeptides in hypertensive patients

Cyclic variation of integrated backscatter (IBS), or CVIBS, provides a noninvasive method to measure myocardial collagen deposition and ischemia in hypertensive patients. We hypothesized that serum procollagen propeptides can offer additional values to CVIBS for evaluating cardiac changes related to fibrosis or ischemia. A total of 21 patients were enrolled in this study and were divided into three groups according to the presence of hypertension and serum carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) concentration; these were: 7 hypertensive patients with PICP ≥ 127 μg/L (group 1), 7 hypertensive patients with PICP < 127 μg/L (group 2), 7 normotensive subjects with PICP < 127 μg/L (group 3). In addition to PICP, serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP), stress 201thalium scintigraphy and CVIBS were examined. Phase-compensated amplitudes of CVIBS at mid posterior and mid anteroseptal segments were significantly lower in group 1 ( p < 0.05). Patients with fixed 201thallium perfusion defects had lower phase-compensated amplitudes of CVIBS at mid anteroseptal segment and higher PIIINP concentrations ( p < 0.05). In conclusions, decrease of myocardial phase-compensated amplitude accompanied with increase of serum PICP concentration may be indicative of the underlying fibrotic process of hypertensive myocardium. Decrease of this CVIBS parameter with increase of serum PIIINP implies concomitant myocardial ischemia. (E-mail: lun0630@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw)