Evaluation of right ventricular function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension by different right ventricular-pulmonary artery coupling methods

To compare the accuracy of end-systolic elasticity (E(es))/arterial elasticity (E(a)) ratio measured by single beat estimation, pressure–volume loop and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) combined volume method in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension, and to find a feasible and reliable method to quantitatively evaluate the function of right ventricle in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension. Forty-nine pulmonary artery hypertension patients enrolled between May 2017 and May 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Firstly, measure E(es)/E(a) ratio by single beat estimation, pressure–volume loop and CMR combined volume method, then, compare E(es)/E(a) ratio with New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification and NT-proBNP value respectively to evaluate the accuracy of the 3 methods. E(es)/E(a) ratio measured by single beat estimation is 2.07 ± 1.01, correlation analysis is not statistically significant when compare with NYHA classification and NT-proBNP value (P > .05). E(es)/E(a) ratio measured by pressure–volume loop is 2.64 ± 1.48, correlation analysis is not statistically significant when compare with NYHA classification and NT-proBNP value (P > .05). E(es)/E(a) ratio measured by CMR combined volume method is 0.72 ± 0.43, correlation analysis is statistically significant when compare with NYHA classification and NT-proBNP with negative correlation (P < .05). E(es)/E(a) ratio decrease according to the increase of NT-proBNP value and the NYHA classification. There is linear regression equation between E(es)/E(a) ratio measured by CMR combined volume method and log (NT-proBNP) value: Y = –0.257X + 1.45, and the linear regression equation is statistically significant (P = .001). E(es)/E(a) ratio measured by CMR combined volume method is a feasible and reliable method to quantitatively evaluate the function of right ventricule in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension, which might be further verified in a larger patient population.