High resolution systematic digital histological quantification of cardiac fibrosis and adipose tissue in phospholamban p.Arg14del mutation associated cardiomyopathy

Desmosomal Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: The Story Telling of a Genetically Determined Heart Muscle Disease

The history of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) as a genetically determined desmosomal disease started since the original discovery by Lancisi in a four-generation family, published in 1728. Contemporary history at the University of Padua started with Dalla Volta, who haemodynamically investigated patients with "auricularization" of the right ventricle, and with Nava, who confirmed familiarity. The contemporary knowledge advances consisted of (a) AC as a heart muscle disease with peculiar electrical instability of the right ventricle; (b) the finding of pathological substrates, in keeping with a myocardial dystrophy; (c) the inclusion of AC in the cardiomyopathies classification; (d) AC as the main cause of sudden death in athletes; (e) the discovery of the culprit genes coding proteins of the intercalated disc (desmosome); (f) progression in clinical diagnosis with specific ECG abnormalities, angiocardiography, endomyocardial biopsy, 2D echocardiography, electron anatomic mapping and cardiac magnetic resonance; (g) the discovery of left ventricular AC; (h) prevention of SCD with the invention and application of the lifesaving implantable cardioverter defibrillator and external defibrillator scattered in public places and playgrounds as well as the ineligibility for competitive sport activity for AC patients; (i) genetic screening of the proband family to unmask asymptomatic carriers. Nondesmosomal ACs, with a phenotype overlapping desmosomal AC, are also treated, including genetics: Transmembrane protein 43, SCN5A, Desmin, Phospholamban, Lamin A/C, Filamin C, Cadherin 2, Tight junction protein 1.

Characterization of Skeletal Muscle Biopsy and Derived Myoblasts in a Patient Carrying Arg14del Mutation in Phospholamban Gene

Phospholamban is involved in the regulation of the activity and storage of calcium in cardiac muscle. Several mutations have been identified in the PLN gene causing cardiac disease associated with arrhythmogenic and dilated cardiomyopathy. The patho-mechanism underlying PLN mutations is not fully understood and a specific therapy is not yet available. PLN mutated patients have been deeply investigated in cardiac muscle, but very little is known about the effect of PLN mutations in skeletal muscle. In this study, we investigated both histological and functional features in skeletal muscle tissue and muscle-derived myoblasts from an Italian patient carrying the Arg14del mutation in PLN. The patient has a cardiac phenotype, but he also reported lower limb fatigability, cramps and fasciculations. The evaluation of a skeletal muscle biopsy showed histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural alterations. In particular, we detected an increase in the number of centronucleated fibers and a reduction in the fiber cross sectional area, an alteration in p62, LC3 and VCP proteins and the formation of perinuclear aggresomes. Furthermore, the patient's myoblasts showed a greater propensity to form aggresomes, even more marked after proteasome inhibition compared with control cells. Further genetic and functional studies are necessary to understand whether a definition of PLN myopathy, or cardiomyopathy plus, can be introduced for selected cases with clinical evidence of skeletal muscle involvement. Including skeletal muscle examination in the diagnostic process of PLN-mutated patients can help clarify this issue.

Myofilament Alterations Associated with Human R14del-Phospholamban Cardiomyopathy

Phospholamban (PLN) is a major regulator of cardiac contractility, and human mutations in this gene give rise to inherited cardiomyopathies. The deletion of Arginine 14 is the most-prevalent cardiomyopathy-related mutation, and it has been linked to arrhythmogenesis and early death. Studies in PLN-humanized mutant mice indicated an increased propensity to arrhythmias, but the underlying cellular mechanisms associated with R14del-PLN cardiac dysfunction in the absence of any apparent structural remodeling remain unclear. The present study addressed the specific role of myofilaments in the setting of R14del-PLN and the long-term effects of R14del-PLN in the heart. Maximal force was depressed in skinned cardiomyocytes from both left and right ventricles, but this effect was more pronounced in the right ventricle of R14del-PLN mice. In addition, the Ca2+ sensitivity of myofilaments was increased in both ventricles of mutant mice. However, the depressive effects of R14del-PLN on contractile parameters could be reversed with the positive inotropic drug omecamtiv mecarbil, a myosin activator. At 12 months of age, corresponding to the mean symptomatic age of R14del-PLN patients, contractile parameters and Ca2+ transients were significantly depressed in the right ventricular R14del-PLN cardiomyocytes. Echocardiography did not reveal any alterations in cardiac function or remodeling, although histological and electron microscopy analyses indicated subtle alterations in mutant hearts. These findings suggest that both aberrant myocyte calcium cycling and aberrant contractility remain specific to the right ventricle in the long term. In addition, altered myofilament activity is an early characteristic of R14del-PLN mutant hearts and the positive inotropic drug omecamtiv mecarbil may be beneficial in treating R14del-PLN cardiomyopathy.

Phospholamban R14del disease: The past, the present and the future

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy affects significant number of patients worldwide and is characterized by life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Mutations in multiple genes with diverse functions have been reported to date including phospholamban (PLN), a key regulator of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ homeostasis and cardiac contractility. The PLN-R14del variant in specific is recognized as the cause in an increasing number of patients worldwide, and extensive investigations have enabled rapid advances towards the delineation of PLN-R14del disease pathogenesis and discovery of an effective treatment. We provide a critical overview of current knowledge on PLN-R14del disease pathophysiology, including clinical, animal model, cellular and biochemical studies, as well as diverse therapeutic approaches that are being pursued. The milestones achieved in <20 years, since the discovery of the PLN R14del mutation (2006), serve as a paradigm of international scientific collaboration and patient involvement towards finding a cure.

Elevated Plasma Immunoglobulin Levels Prior to Heart Transplantation Are Associated with Poor Post-Transplantation Survival

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) and antibody-mediated rejection are immune-mediated, long-term complications that jeopardize graft survival after heart transplantation (HTx). Interestingly, increased plasma levels of immunoglobulins have been found in end-stage heart failure (HF) patients prior to HTx. In this study, we aimed to determine whether increased circulating immunoglobulin levels prior to transplantation are associated with poor post-HTx survival. Pre-and post-HTx plasma samples of 36 cardiac transplant recipient patients were used to determine circulating immunoglobulin levels. In addition, epicardial tissue was collected to determine immunoglobulin deposition in cardiac tissue and assess signs and severity of graft rejection. High levels of IgG1 and IgG2 prior to HTx were associated with a shorter survival post-HTx. Immunoglobulin deposition in cardiac tissue was significantly elevated in patients with a survival of less than 3 years. Patients with high plasma IgG levels pre-HTx also had significantly higher plasma levels after HTx. Furthermore, high pre-HTX levels of IgG1 and IgG2 levels were also significantly increased in patients with inflammatory infiltrate in CAV lesions. Altogether the results of this proof-of-concept study suggest that an activated immune response prior to transplantation negatively affects graft survival.

Insights Into Genetics and Pathophysiology of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

Purpose of Review

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a genetic disease characterized by life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in apparently healthy young adults. Mutations in genes encoding for cellular junctions can be found in about half of the patients. However, disease onset and severity, risk of arrhythmias, and outcome are highly variable and drug-targeted treatment is currently unavailable.

Recent Findings

This review focuses on advances in clinical risk stratification, genetic etiology, and pathophysiological concepts. The desmosome is the central part of the disease, but other intercalated disc and associated structural proteins not only broaden the genetic spectrum but also provide novel molecular and cellular insights into the pathogenesis of ACM. Signaling pathways and the role of inflammation will be discussed and targets for novel therapeutic approaches outlined.

Summary

Genetic discoveries and experimental-driven preclinical research contributed significantly to the understanding of ACM towards mutation- and pathway-specific personalized medicine.

Left ventricular fibro-fatty replacement in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy: prevalence, patterns, and association with arrhythmias

BACKGROUND

Left ventricular (LV) fibrofatty infiltration in arrhythmogenic right ventricular (RV) dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) has been reported, however, detailed cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) characteristics and association with outcomes are uncertain. We aim to describe LV findings on CMR in ARVD/C patients and their relationship with arrhythmic outcomes.

METHODS

CMR of 73 subjects with ARVD/C according to the 2010 Task Force Criteria (TFC) were analyzed for LV involvement, defined as ≥ 1 of the following features: LV wall motion abnormality, LV late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), LV fat infiltration, or LV ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50%. Ventricular volumes and function, regional wall motion abnormalities, and the presence of ventricular fat or fibrosis were recorded. Findings on CMR were correlated with arrhythmic outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the 73 subjects, 50.7% had CMR evidence for LV involvement. Proband status and advanced RV dysfunction were independently associated with LV abnormalities. The most common pattern of LV involvement was focal fatty infiltration in the sub-epicardium of the apicolateral LV with a "bite-like" pattern. LGE in the LV was found in the same distribution and most often had a linear appearance. LV involvement was more common with non-PKP2 genetic mutation variants, regardless of proband status. Only RV structural disease on CMR (HR 3.47, 95% CI 1.13-10.70) and prior arrhythmia (HR 2.85, 95% CI 1.33-6.10) were independently associated with arrhythmic events.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with 2010 TFC for ARVD/C, CMR evidence for LV abnormalities are seen in half of patients and typically manifest as fibrofatty infiltration in the subepicardium of the apicolateral wall and are not associated with arrhythmic outcomes.

P62-positive aggregates are homogenously distributed in the myocardium and associated with the type of mutation in genetic cardiomyopathy

Genetic cardiomyopathy is caused by mutations in various genes. The accumulation of potentially proteotoxic mutant protein aggregates due to insufficient autophagy is a possible mechanism of disease development. The objective of this study was to investigate the distribution in the myocardium of such aggregates in relation to specific pathogenic genetic mutations in cardiomyopathy hearts. Hearts from 32 genetic cardiomyopathy patients, 4 non-genetic cardiomyopathy patients and 5 controls were studied. Microscopic slices from an entire midventricular heart slice were stained for p62 (sequestosome-1, marker for aggregated proteins destined for autophagy). The percentage of cardiomyocytes with p62 accumulation was higher in cardiomyopathy hearts (median 3.3%) than in healthy controls (0.3%; P < .0001). p62 accumulation was highest in the desmin (15.6%) and phospholamban (7.2%) groups. P62 accumulation was homogeneously distributed in the myocardium. Fibrosis was not associated with p62 accumulation in subgroup analysis of phospholamban hearts. In conclusion, accumulation of p62-positive protein aggregates is homogeneously distributed in the myocardium independently of fibrosis distribution and associated with desmin and phospholamban cardiomyopathy. Proteotoxic protein accumulation is a diffuse process in the myocardium while a more localized second hit, such as local strain during exercise, might determine whether this leads to regional myocyte decay.

Discovering and Visualizing Disease-Specific Electrocardiogram Features Using Deep Learning: Proof-of-Concept in Phospholamban Gene Mutation Carriers

BACKGROUND

ECG interpretation requires expertise and is mostly based on physician recognition of specific patterns, which may be challenging in rare cardiac diseases. Deep neural networks (DNNs) can discover complex features in ECGs and may facilitate the detection of novel features which possibly play a pathophysiological role in relatively unknown diseases. Using a cohort of PLN (phospholamban) p.Arg14del mutation carriers, we aimed to investigate whether a novel DNN-based approach can identify established ECG features, but moreover, we aimed to expand our knowledge on novel ECG features in these patients.

METHODS

A DNN was developed on 12-lead median beat ECGs of 69 patients and 1380 matched controls and independently evaluated on 17 patients and 340 controls. Differentiating features were visualized using Guided Gradient Class Activation Mapping++. Novel ECG features were tested for their diagnostic value by adding them to a logistic regression model including established ECG features.

RESULTS

The DNN showed excellent discriminatory performance with a c-statistic of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91-0.99) and sensitivity and specificity of 0.82 and 0.93, respectively. Visualizations revealed established ECG features (low QRS voltages and T-wave inversions), specified these features (eg, R- and T-wave attenuation in V2/V3) and identified novel PLN-specific ECG features (eg, increased PR-duration). The logistic regression baseline model improved significantly when augmented with the identified features (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A DNN-based feature detection approach was able to discover and visualize disease-specific ECG features in PLN mutation carriers and revealed yet unidentified features. This novel approach may help advance diagnostic capabilities in daily practice.

The phenotypic characteristic observed by cardiac magnetic resonance in a PLN-R14del family

Phospholamban (PLN) is an important regulator for sarcoendoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium transport ATPase (SERCA), which uptakes Ca²⁺ to SR during the diastolic phase of cardiomyocytes to maintain intracellular calcium homeostasis. Mutations on PLN result in intracellular calcium disorder, myocardial contraction defect, and eventually heart failure and/or malignant ventricular arrhythmia. Since 2003, several kinds of PLN mutations have been identified in familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients, illustrating a few clinical characteristics that differs from classical DCM patients. Herein, we report a large PLN-R14del family with typical clinical characteristics reported including relatively late-onset clinical symptoms, low-voltage in ECG, as well as frequent ventricular arrythmias. Moreover, members underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examination showed a strikingly similar pattern of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)—Sub-epicardial involvement in the left ventricular (LV) lateral wall with or without linear mid-wall enhancement in the interventricular septum. The former one can also present in younger PLN-R14del carriers despite completely normal LV structure and function. Meanwhile, T1 mapping also found significantly increased extracellular volume (ECV) in PLN-R14del carriers. These findings highlight the special role of CMR to phenotyping PLN-induced cardiomyopathy patients and distinguish them from other types of cardiomyopathy.

Current understanding of fibrosis in genetic cardiomyopathies

Myocardial fibrosis is the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, including collagens, in the heart. In cardiomyopathies, the formation of interstitial fibrosis and/or replacement fibrosis is almost always part of the pathological cardiac remodeling process. Different forms of cardiomyopathies show particular patterns of myocardial fibrosis that can be considered as distinctive hallmarks. Although formation of fibrosis is initially aimed to be a reparative mechanism, in the long term, on-going and excessive myocardial fibrosis may lead to arrhythmias and stiffening of the heart wall and subsequently to diastolic dysfunction. Ultimately, adverse remodeling with progressive myocardial fibrosis can lead to heart failure. Not surprisingly, the presence of fibrosis in cardiomyopathies, even when subtle, has consistently been associated with complications and adverse outcomes. In the last decade, non-invasive in vivo techniques for visualization of myocardial fibrosis have emerged, and have been increasingly used in research and in the clinic. In this review, we will describe the epidemiology, distribution, and role of myocardial fibrosis in genetic cardiomyopathies, including hypertrophic, dilated, arrhythmogenic, and non-compaction cardiomyopathy, and a few specific forms of genetic cardiomyopathies.

2019 HRS expert consensus statement on evaluation, risk stratification, and management of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an arrhythmogenic disorder of the myocardium not secondary to ischemic, hypertensive, or valvular heart disease. ACM incorporates a broad spectrum of genetic, systemic, infectious, and inflammatory disorders. This designation includes, but is not limited to, arrhythmogenic right/left ventricular cardiomyopathy, cardiac amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, Chagas disease, and left ventricular noncompaction. The ACM phenotype overlaps with other cardiomyopathies, particularly dilated cardiomyopathy with arrhythmia presentation that may be associated with ventricular dilatation and/or impaired systolic function. This expert consensus statement provides the clinician with guidance on evaluation and management of ACM and includes clinically relevant information on genetics and disease mechanisms. PICO questions were utilized to evaluate contemporary evidence and provide clinical guidance related to exercise in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Recommendations were developed and approved by an expert writing group, after a systematic literature search with evidence tables, and discussion of their own clinical experience, to present the current knowledge in the field. Each recommendation is presented using the Class of Recommendation and Level of Evidence system formulated by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association and is accompanied by references and explanatory text to provide essential context. The ongoing recognition of the genetic basis of ACM provides the opportunity to examine the diverse triggers and potential common pathway for the development of disease and arrhythmia.

Distinct molecular signature of phospholamban p.Arg14del arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Phospholamban (PLN) p.Arg14del cardiomyopathy is characterized by a distinct arrhythmogenic biventricular phenotype that can be predominantly left ventricular, right ventricular, or both. Our aim was to further elucidate distinct features of this cardiomyopathy with respect to the distribution of desmosomal proteins observed by immunofluorescence (IF) in comparison to desmosomal arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and co-existent genetic variants. We studied eight explanted heart specimens from PLN p.Arg14del mutation carriers. Macro- and microscopic examination revealed biventricular presence of fibrofatty replacement and interstitial fibrosis. Five out of 8 (63%) patients met consensus criteria for both arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In four cases, targeted next-generation sequencing revealed one additional pathogenic variant and six variants of unknown significance. IF showed diminished junction plakoglobin signal intensity at the intercalated disks in 4 (67%) out of 6 cases fulfilling ARVC criteria but normal intensity in both cases fulfilling only DCM criteria. Notably, the four cases with diminished junction plakoglobin were also those where an additional gene variant was detected. IF for two proteins recently investigated in desmosomal arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), synapse-associated protein 97 and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta, showed a distinct distributional pattern in comparison to desmosomal ACM. In 7 (88%) out of 8 cases we observed both a strong synapse-associated protein 97 signal at the sarcomeres and no glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta translocation to the intercalated discs. Phospholamban p.Arg14del cardiomyopathy is characterized by a distinct molecular signature compared to desmosomal ACM, specifically a different desmosomal protein distribution. This study substantiates the idea that additional genetic variants play a role in the phenotypical heterogeneity.

Histopathologic features of alcoholic cardiomyopathy compared with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

The histologic difference between alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) is unclear. The present study aimed to identify the quantitative pathologic features of ACM compared with IDCM.

METHODS

Specimens from 6 regions (anterior left ventricle [LV], lateral LV, inferior LV, interventricular septum [IVS], anterior right ventricle [RV], and inferior RV) were sampled from each explanted heart. Specimens from 4 healthy donor hearts were obtained as normal control. Tissues were sectioned and Masson trichrome stained. Histomorphometry was performed to evaluate the amount of myocyte, fibrosis, fatty tissue, and interstitium by Image-Pro Plus 6.0 (Media Cybernetics).

RESULTS

A total of 408 specimens were obtained from 34 ACMs and 34 IDCMs; 8 specimens were obtained from 4 healthy donor hearts. Compared to healthy donor hearts, we observed an increase in fibrosis which replaces myocytes in myocardium of end-stage cardiomyopathy. The overall myocyte ratio in myocardium was 69.5 ± 8.7% in ACM vs 71.9 ± 7.4% in IDCM (P < .05). The percentage of interstitium was 10.8 ± 4.8% in ACM vs 9.2 ± 6.2% in IDCM (P < .05). A significant difference of fibrosis, fatty tissue was not discovered. Moreover, the myocyte area was 65.37 ± 11.8% in ACM LV vs 70.03 ± 9.0% in IDCM LV (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

We described histologic characteristics in ACM and IDCM. There might be a quantitative difference of myocyte, interstitium in myocardium between ACM and IDCM, especially in LV. No difference was found in the percentage of fibrosis between the 2 groups.

A deep-learning classifier identifies patients with clinical heart failure using whole-slide images of H&E tissue

Over 26 million people worldwide suffer from heart failure annually. When the cause of heart failure cannot be identified, endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) represents the gold-standard for the evaluation of disease. However, manual EMB interpretation has high inter-rater variability. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been successfully applied to detect cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and dermatologic lesions from images. In this study, we develop a CNN classifier to detect clinical heart failure from H&E stained whole-slide images from a total of 209 patients, 104 patients were used for training and the remaining 105 patients for independent testing. The CNN was able to identify patients with heart failure or severe pathology with a 99% sensitivity and 94% specificity on the test set, outperforming conventional feature-engineering approaches. Importantly, the CNN outperformed two expert pathologists by nearly 20%. Our results suggest that deep learning analytics of EMB can be used to predict cardiac outcome.

Systems analysis of dilated cardiomyopathy in the next generation sequencing era

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a form of severe failure of cardiac muscle caused by a long list of etiologies ranging from myocardial infarction, DNA mutations in cardiac genes, to toxics. Systems analysis integrating next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based omics approaches, such as the sequencing of DNA, RNA, and chromatin, provide valuable insights into DCM mechanisms. The outcome and interpretation of NGS methods can be affected by the localization of cardiac biopsy, level of tissue degradation, and variable ratios of different cell populations, especially in the presence of fibrosis. Heart tissue composition may even differ between sexes, or siblings carrying the same disease causing mutation. Therefore, before planning any experiments, it is important to fully appreciate the complexities of DCM, and the selection of samples suitable for given research question should be an interdisciplinary effort involving clinicians and biologists. The list of NGS omics datasets in DCM to date is short. More studies have to be performed to contribute to public data repositories and facilitate systems analysis. In addition, proper data integration is a difficult task requiring complex computational approaches. Despite these complications, there are multiple promising implications of systems analysis in DCM. By combining various types of datasets, for example, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, or 4C, deep insights into cardiac biology, and possible biomarkers and treatment targets, can be gained. Systems analysis can also facilitate the annotation of noncoding mutations in cardiac-specific DNA regulatory regions that play a substantial role in maintaining the tissue- and cell-specific transcriptional programs in the heart. This article is categorized under: Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease Laboratory Methods and Technologies > Genetic/Genomic Methods Laboratory Methods and Technologies > RNA Methods.

The Interleukin-33/ST2 Pathway Is Expressed in the Failing Human Heart and Associated with Pro-fibrotic Remodeling of the Myocardium

The interleukin-33 (IL-33)/suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) pathway is a potential pathophysiological mediator of cardiac fibrosis. Soluble ST2 (sST2) is one of the main isoforms of ST2 with strong prognostic value in cardiac disease. The exact role of sST2 in cardiac fibrosis is unknown. The aim of this study was (1) to investigate myocardial expression of the IL-33/ST2 pathway in relation to myocardial fibrosis in end-stage heart failure patients and (2) to study whether plasma sST2 is associated with histologically determined cardiac fibrosis. In 38 patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation, mRNA expression of sST2, total ST2, and IL-33 was measured in cardiac tissue obtained during the implantation. In the same tissue, histological fibrosis was digitally quantified and mRNA expression of pro-fibrotic signaling molecules, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1), was measured. In addition, plasma levels of sST2 were determined. Expression levels of IL-33/ST2 pathway factors in myocardial tissue were significantly associated with cardiac fibrosis and the expression levels of CTGF and TGFβ1. Plasma levels of sST2 did not correlate with tissue expression of ST2, the amount of fibrosis or myocardial expression of pro-fibrotic signaling proteins. The interleukin-33/ST2 pathway is expressed in the failing human heart and its expression is associated with cardiac fibrosis and pro-fibrotic signaling proteins, suggesting a role in pro-fibrotic myocardial remodeling. Soluble ST2 levels in the circulation did not correlate with the amount of cardiac fibrosis or myocardial ST2 expression, however. Therefore, other pathophysiological processes such as inflammation might also substantially affect sST2 plasma levels.

A systematic comparison of cardiovascular magnetic resonance and high resolution histological fibrosis quantification in a chronic porcine infarct model

The noninvasive reference standard for myocardial fibrosis detection on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Currently there is no consensus on the preferred method for LGE quantification. Moreover myocardial wall thickening (WT) and strain are measures of regional deformation and function. The aim of this research was to systematically compare in vivo CMR parameters, such as LGE, WT and strain, with histological fibrosis quantification. Eight weeks after 90 min ischemia/reperfusion of the LAD artery, 16 pigs underwent in vivo Cine and LGE CMR. Histological sections from transverse heart slices were digitally analysed for fibrosis quantification. Mean fibrosis percentage of analysed sections was related to the different CMR techniques (using segmentation or feature tracking software) for each slice using a linear mixed model analysis. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) technique for quantification of LGE yielded the highest R2 of 60%. Cine derived myocardial WT explained 16-36% of the histological myocardial fibrosis. The peak circumferential and radial strain measured by feature tracking could explain 15 and 10% of the variance of myocardial fibrosis, respectively. The used method to systematically compare CMR image data with digital histological images is novel and feasible. Myocardial WT and strain were only modestly related with the amount of fibrosis. The fully automatic FWHM analysis technique is the preferred method to detect myocardial fibrosis.

Investigating interactions between epicardial adipose tissue and cardiac myocytes: what can we learn from different approaches?

Heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Some cardiovascular conditions can be modulated by lifestyle factors such as increased exercise or a healthier diet, but many require surgical or pharmacological interventions for their management. More targeted and less invasive therapies would be beneficial. Recently, it has become apparent that epicardial adipose tissue plays an important role in normal and pathological cardiac function, and it is now the focus of considerable research. Epicardial adipose tissue can be studied by imaging of various kinds, and these approaches have yielded much useful information. However, at a molecular level, it is more difficult to study as it is relatively scarce in animal models and, for practical and ethical reasons, not always available in sufficient quantities from patients. What is needed is a robust model system in which the interactions between epicardial adipocytes and cardiac myocytes can be studied, and physiologically relevant manipulations performed. There are drawbacks to conventional culture methods, not least the difficulty of culturing both cardiac myocytes and adipocytes, each of which has special requirements. We discuss the benefits of a three-dimensional co-culture model in which in vivo interactions can be replicated.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed section on Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Perivascular Adipose Tissue - Potential Pharmacological Targets? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.20/issuetoc.

Endogenous assessment of diffuse myocardial fibrosis in patients with T1ρ -mapping

PURPOSE

Recently, it was shown that a significantly higher T_1ρ is found in compact myocardial fibrosis after chronic myocardial infarction. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of native T_1ρ -mapping for the detection of diffuse myocardial fibrosis in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

T_1ρ -mapping was performed on three explanted hearts from DCM patients at 3 Tesla (T). Histological fibrosis quantification was performed, and compared with the T_1ρ -relaxation times in the heart. Furthermore, twenty DCM patients underwent an MRI at 1.5T. Native T_1ρ -maps, native T₁ -maps, and extracellular volume (ECV)-maps were acquired. Additionally, eight healthy volunteers were scanned for reference values.

RESULTS

A significant correlation (Pearson r = 0.49; P = 0.005) was found between ex vivo T_1ρ -values and fibrosis fraction from histology. Additionally, a significantly higher T_1ρ -relaxation time (55.2 ± 2.7 ms) was found in DCM patients compared with healthy control subjects (51.5 ± 1.2 ms) (P = 0.0024). The relation between in vivo T_1ρ -values and ECV-values was significant (Pearson r = 0.66). No significant relation was found between native T₁ - and ECV-values in this study (P = 0.89).

CONCLUSION

This study showed proof of principle for the endogenous detection of diffuse myocardial fibrosis with T_1ρ -MRI. Ex vivo and in vivo experiments showed promising results that T_1ρ -MRI can be used to measure the extent of diffuse myocardial fibrosis in the myocardium.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:132-138.

Phospholamban p.Arg14del cardiomyopathy is characterized by phospholamban aggregates, aggresomes, and autophagic degradation

AIMS

The non-desmosomal phospholamban PLN p.Arg14del mutation was identified in patients diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and/or arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). We aimed to investigate whether this mutation leads to aggregation, aggresome formation and autophagy of mutant PLN protein.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We studied 20 complete heart specimens of PLN p.Arg14del mutation carriers [mean age 48 ± 15 years; 55% males], either from autopsies or from explants. Gross and microscopic examination showed biventricular cardiomyopathy with histopathological features of both ACM and DCM, i.e. a combination of fibrofatty replacement and interstitial fibrosis. Immunohistochemistry for PLN showed large perinuclear PLN protein aggregates in cardiomyocytes in both ventricles in all examined hearts. The median numbers of PLN-containing aggregates were 12 per 5 mm(2) range 3-48 mm2 in right ventricular myocardium and 13 per 5 mm(2) (range 5-89 mm(2) ) in left ventricular myocardium. Double immunohistochemical staining showed colocalization of autophagy markers p62 (sequestosome-1) and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 with PLN in all aggregates, suggestive of degradation by selective autophagy. On electron microscopy, the ultrastructural appearance of these PLN-containing aggregates was typical of aggresomes; they were not surrounded by a membrane, and were located adjacent to the microtubular organizing centre. PLN-containing aggregates were not found in 10 PLN-negative cases of idiopathic and genetic DCM or in seven cases of desmosomal ACM.

CONCLUSIONS

PLN p.Arg14del cardiomyopathy is a biventricular cardiomyopathy characterized by large perinuclear PLN protein aggregates with a typical ultrastructural appearance of aggresomes. PLN detected by immunohistochemistry appears to be a sensitive and specific marker for this disease.

Quantitative analysis of myocardial tissue with digital autofluorescence microscopy

Background:

The opportunity offered by whole slide scanners of automated histological analysis implies an ever increasing importance of digital pathology. To go beyond the importance of conventional pathology, however, digital pathology may need a basic histological starting point similar to that of hematoxylin and eosin staining in conventional pathology. This study presents an automated fluorescence-based microscopy approach providing highly detailed morphological data from unstained microsections. This data may provide a basic histological starting point from which further digital analysis including staining may benefit.

Methods:

This study explores the inherent tissue fluorescence, also known as autofluorescence, as a mean to quantitate cardiac tissue components in histological microsections. Data acquisition using a commercially available whole slide scanner and an image-based quantitation algorithm are presented.

Results:

It is shown that the autofluorescence intensity of unstained microsections at two different wavelengths is a suitable starting point for automated digital analysis of myocytes, fibrous tissue, lipofuscin, and the extracellular compartment. The output of the method is absolute quantitation along with accurate outlines of above-mentioned components. The digital quantitations are verified by comparison to point grid quantitations performed on the microsections after Van Gieson staining.

Conclusion:

The presented method is amply described as a prestain multicomponent quantitation and outlining tool for histological sections of cardiac tissue. The main perspective is the opportunity for combination with digital analysis of stained microsections, for which the method may provide an accurate digital framework.

Quantification of myocardial fibrosis by digital image analysis and interactive stereology

BACKGROUND

Cardiac fibrosis disrupts the normal myocardial structure and has a direct impact on heart function and survival. Despite already available digital methods, the pathologist's visual score is still widely considered as ground truth and used as a primary method in histomorphometric evaluations. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of digital image analysis tools and the pathologist's visual scoring for evaluating fibrosis in human myocardial biopsies, based on reference data obtained by point counting performed on the same images.

METHODS

Endomyocardial biopsy material from 38 patients diagnosed with inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy was used. The extent of total cardiac fibrosis was assessed by image analysis on Masson's trichrome-stained tissue specimens using automated Colocalization and Genie software, by Stereology grid count and manually by Pathologist's visual score.

RESULTS

A total of 116 slides were analyzed. The mean results obtained by the Colocalization software (13.72 ± 12.24%) were closest to the reference value of stereology (RVS), while the Genie software and Pathologist score gave a slight underestimation. RVS values correlated strongly with values obtained using the Colocalization and Genie (r>0.9, p<0.001) software as well as the pathologist visual score. Differences in fibrosis quantification by Colocalization and RVS were statistically insignificant. However, significant bias was found in the results obtained by using Genie versus RVS and pathologist score versus RVS with mean difference values of: -1.61% and 2.24%. Bland-Altman plots showed a bidirectional bias dependent on the magnitude of the measurement: Colocalization software overestimated the area fraction of fibrosis in the lower end, and underestimated in the higher end of the RVS values. Meanwhile, Genie software as well as the pathologist score showed more uniform results throughout the values, with a slight underestimation in the mid-range for both.

CONCLUSION

Both applied digital image analysis methods revealed almost perfect correlation with the criterion standard obtained by stereology grid count and, in terms of accuracy, outperformed the pathologist's visual score. Genie algorithm proved to be the method of choice with the only drawback of a slight underestimation bias, which is considered acceptable for both clinical and research evaluations.

VIRTUAL SLIDES

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/9857909611227193.