Evaluation of right ventricular function by Doppler tissue imaging of the tricuspid annulus in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Chronic heart disease contributes to the mortality of patients with AIDS. Although studies of left ventricular function in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been conducted, studies of right ventricular function are rare. The present study aimed to characterize the tricuspid annulus movement and evaluate the right ventricular function of patients with AIDS by tissue Doppler imaging. Tissue Doppler echocardiography was performed on 106 patients with AIDS and 64 controls. Tricuspid annulus movements were detected from the apical four-chamber view and the apical right heart two-chamber view. The peak diastolic early period velocity (Ve), peak diastolic later period velocity (Va) and peak systolic velocity (Vs) were measured at the anterior, posterior and lateral walls and also at the interventricular septum. Mean values were calculated, as well as the Tei index of the lateral site. Compared with the values in the control group, the Vs and Va of the AIDS group decreased at all sites with the exception of the lateral wall, whereas the Ve decreased at all sites of the tricuspid annulus (P<0.05). The Tei index was higher in the AIDS group than in the control (P<0.05). The results obtained in the present study show that the function of the right ventricle decreases in patients with AIDS, which is indicative of susceptibility to right ventricular dysfunction.