Feasibility Value of Right Ventricular Longitudinal Shortening Fraction and the Prognostic Implications in Patients With Heart Transplantation

Abstract

Background Right ventricular longitudinal shortening fraction (RVLSF) is a 2‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameter based on tricuspid annular displacement analysis that could be used to assess right ventricular (RV) systolic function. The value of RVLSF in the assessment of RV systolic function in recipients of heart transplantation (HT) and whether RVLSF can replace strain parameters remains unknown. Methods and Results A total of 153 adult patients who underwent HT were consecutively enrolled in this prospective longitudinal study. All subjects were examined by conventional transthoracic 2‐dimensional echocardiography and 2‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography to evaluate the RV end‐diastolic basal diameter, RV end‐diastolic area, fractional area change, peak systolic velocity of tricuspid annulus, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, RV free wall strain, and RVLSF. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to test if the parameters of interest had independent prognostic value for adverse outcome prediction in patients who underwent HT. A significant positive correlation was found between the measurements of RVLSF and RV free wall strain ( r =0.927, P <0.001). Compared with the event‐free group, the adverse outcome group displayed reduced RVLSF and RV free wall strain and higher age ( P <0.001, <0.001, =0.016, respectively) in patients who underwent HT. RVLSF and RV free wall strain were independently associated with poor prognosis in multivariable analysis (both P <0.001). Conclusions RVLSF assessment provides an effective evaluation of RV longitudinal systolic function in the transplanted hearts and has prognostic value for adverse outcomes in patients undergoing HT.