Skip to main content
Clinical Cardiology logoLink to Clinical Cardiology
. 2006 Dec 5;27(12):683–688. doi: 10.1002/clc.4960271205

Markers of myocardial reperfusion as predictors of left ventricular function recovery in acute myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty

Francesco Bellandi 1,, Mario Leoncini 1, Mauro Maioli 1, Anna Toso 1, Michela Gallopin 1, Roberto Piero Dabizzi 1
PMCID: PMC6653943  PMID: 15628110

Abstract

Background:Myocardial blush grade (MBG), corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC), and ST‐segment reduction are indices of myocardial reperfusion.

Hypothesis:We evaluated their predictive value for left ventricular (LV) function recovery by gated single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods:In 40 patients with AMI, gated SPECT was performed at admission and repeated 7 and 30 days after PCI. Left ventricular function recovery was defined as an increase ≥ 10 points in SPECT LV ejection fraction from baseline to 1 month. The MBG, cTFC, and ST‐segment elevation index 1 h after PCI were determined to evaluate reperfusion.

Results:Twenty‐four patients (Group 1) had LV function recovery and 16 (Group 2) did not. A significant correlation was found between LV function recovery and MBG (r = 0.66; p=0.0001), and ST‐segment elevation index at 1 h(r=−0.55; p = 0.0001), but not with cTFC. Univariate predictors of LV function recovery were MBG (p = 0.0003) and ST‐segment elevation index 1 h after intervention (p = 0.0026), but not cTFC. In a multivariate analysis, MBG was the only predictor of LV function recovery. Myocardial blush grade ≥ 2 and ST‐segment elevation index reduction had the same accuracy (88%) for predicting LV function recovery. Lower accuracy (75%) was shown by fast cTFC (< 23 frames). Myocardial blush grade ≥ 2 showed the better negative likelihood ratio, and ST‐segment elevation index reduction had the higher positive likelihood ratio in predicting LV function recovery.

Conclusions:Myocardial blush grade was the best parameter for prediction of LV function recovery: MBG ≥ 2 and ST‐segment elevation index reduction showed good accuracy in predicting LV function recovery. The cTFC failed to be a significant predictor.

Keywords: acute myocardial infarction, gated tomography, primary coronary angioplasty

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (71.0 KB).

References

  • 1. Ito H, Tomooka T, Sakai N, Higashino Y, Fujii K, Masuyama T, Kitabatake A, Minamino T: Lack of myocardial perfusion immediately after successful thrombolysis. A predictor of poor recovery of left ventricular function in anterior myocardial infarction. Circulation 1992; 85: 1699–1705 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2. Bax M, de Winter RJ, Schotborgh CE, Koch KT, Meuwissen M, Voskuil M, Adams R, Mulder KJ, Tijssen JG, Piek JJ: Short and long‐term recovery of left ventricular function predicted at the time of primary percutaneous coronary intervention in anterior myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol 2004; 43: 534–541 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3. Kondo M, Nakano A, Saito D, Shimono Y: Assessment of “microvascular no‐reflow phenomenon” using technetium–99m macroaggregated albumin scintigraphy in patients with acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol 1998; 32: 898–903 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4. Bremerich J, Wendland MF, Arheden H, Wyttenbach R, Gao DW, Huberty JP, Dae MW, Higgins CB, Saeed M: Microvascular injury in reperfused in‐farcted myocardium: Noninvasive assessment with contrast‐enhanced echo‐planar magnetic resonance imaging. J Am Coll Cardiol 1998; 32: 787–793 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5. Santoro GM, Valenti R, Buonamici P, Bolognese L, Cerisano G, Moschi G, Trapani M, Antoniucci D, Fazzini PF: Relation between ST‐segment changes and myocardial perfusion evaluated by myocardial contrast echocardiography in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with direct angioplasty. Am J Cardiol 1998; 82: 932–937 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6. Poli A, Fetiveau R, Vandoni P, del Rosso G, D'Urbano M, Seveso G, Cafiero F, De Servi S: Integrated analysis of myocardial blush and ST‐segment elevation recovery after successful primary angioplasty: Real‐time grading of microvascular reperfusion and prediction of early and late recovery of left ventricular function. Circulation 2002; 106: 313–318 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7. van't Hof AW, Liem A, Suryapranata H, Hoorntje JC, deBoer MJ, Zijlstra F: Angiographic assessment of myocardial reperfusion in patients treated with primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction: Myocardial blush grade. Zwolle Myocardial Infarction Study Group. Circulation 1998; 97: 2302–2306 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8. Gibson CM, Cannon CP, Daley WL, Dodge JT Jr, Alexander B Jr, Marble SJ, McCabe CH, Raymond L, Fortin T, Poole WK, Braunwald E: TIMI frame count: A quantitative method of assessing coronary artery flow. Circulation 1996; 93: 879–888 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9. Schomig A, Kastrati A, Dirschinger J, Mehilli J, Schricke U, Pache J, Martin‐off S, Neumann FJ, Schwaiger M: Coronary stenting plus platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa blockade compared with tissue plasminogen activator in acute myocardial infarction. Stent versus Thrombolysis for Occluded Coronary Arteries in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Study Investigators. N Engl J Med 2000; 343: 385–391 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10. Germano G, Erel J, Lewin H, Kavanagh PB, Berman DS: Automatic quantification of regional myocardial wall motion and thickening from gated technetium–99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion single‐photon emission computed tomography. J Am Coll Cardiol 1997; 30: 1360–1367 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11. The TIMI Study Group . The Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) trial. Phase I findings. N Engl J Med 1985; 312: 932–936 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12. Angeja BG, Gunda M, Murphy SA, Sobel BE, Rundle AC, Syed M, Asfour A, Borzak S, Gourlay SG, Barron HV, Gibbons RJ, Gibson CM: TIMI myocardial perfusion grade and ST‐segment resolution: Association with infarct size as assessed by single photon emission computed tomography imaging. Circulation 2002; 105: 282–285 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13. Hamada S, Nishiue T, Nakamura S, Sugiura T, Kamihata H, Miyoshi H, Imuro Y, Iwasaka T: TIMI frame count immediately after primary coronary angioplasty as a predictor of functional recovery in patients with TIMI 3 reperfused acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001; 38: 666–671 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14. Dibra A, Mehilli J, Dirschinger J, Pache J, Neverve J, Schwaiger M, Schomig A, Kastrati A: Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction myocardial perfusion grade in angiography correlates with myocardial salvage in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with stenting or thrombolysis. JAm Coll Cardiol 2003; 41: 925–929 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15. Dong J, Ndrepepa G, Schmitt C, Mehilli J, Schmieder S, Schwaiger M, Schomig A, Kastrati A: Early resolution of ST‐segment elevation correlates with myocardial salvage assessed by Tc‐99m sestamibi scintigraphy in patients with acute myocardial infarction after mechanical or thrombolytic reperfusion therapy. Circulation 2002; 105: 2946–2949 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16. Haager PK, Christott P, Heussen N, Lepper W, Hanrath P, Hoffmann R: Prediction of clinical outcome after mechanical revascularization in acute myocardial infarction by markers of myocardial reperfusion. J Am Coll Cardiol 2003; 41: 532–538 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical Cardiology are provided here courtesy of Wiley

RESOURCES