© 2007 European Society of Cardiology
Coronary sinus thermography in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: Correlation with systemic inflammation and left ventricular contractility
First Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Athens Medical School Athens, Greece
* Corresponding author. 24 Karaoli and Dimitriou, Holargos, Athens 15562, Greece. Tel.: +30 210 6510860; fax: +30 210 7784590. E-mail address: ktoutouz{at}otenet.gr
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Abstract |
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Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that patients with heart failure have increased myocardial heat production. Coronary sinus (CS) thermography is a new method for the evaluation of left ventricular heat production.
Aims: We investigated whether the CS blood temperature is increased in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) compared to a control group and whether the CS blood temperature correlates with ejection fraction and systemic inflammatory activation.
Methods and results: We included 25 patients with DCM and 22 healthy subjects. Temperature measurements were performed using a new thermography catheter. Temperature difference (
T) was defined as the difference between the CS and RA blood temperature. The CRP levels were also measured.
T was significantly greater in patients with DCM compared to the controls (0.25±0.09 vs 0.14±0.07 °C, p<0.01). T and EF were inversely correlated in patients with DCM (R=0.43). We categorized patients with DCM into two groups using a CRP cut-off value of 
1 mg/dL. T in patients with high CRP was less (0.21±0.06 °C) compared to patients with low CRP (0.30±0.08 °C, p=0.01).
Conclusions: In patients with DCM increased heat production from the myocardium, as estimated from the coronary sinus blood temperature, was demonstrated, interestingly there was no correlation with systemic inflammatory activation.
Key Words: Dilated cardiomyopathy • Coronary sinus thermography • Heat production
Received August 5, 2005; Revised January 2, 2006; Accepted April 3, 2006