Diagnostics (Oct 2022)

Left Ventricular Function and Iron Loading Status in a Tertiary Center Hemochromatosis Cohort—A Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study

  • Karolina Dorniak,
  • Ludmiła Daniłowicz-Szymanowicz,
  • Katarzyna Sikorska,
  • Katarzyna Rozwadowska,
  • Jadwiga Fijałkowska,
  • Anna Glińska,
  • Magdalena Tuzimek,
  • Agnieszka Sabisz,
  • Marta Żarczyńska-Buchowiecka,
  • Michał Świątczak,
  • Maria Dudziak,
  • Edyta Szurowska

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12112620
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 11
p. 2620

Abstract

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Background: Haemochromatosis (HCH), a common genetic disorder with variable penetrance, results in progressive but understudied iron overload. We prospectively evaluated organ iron loading and cardiac function in a tertiary center HCH cohort. Methods: 42 HCH patients (47 ± 14 years) and 36 controls underwent laboratory workup and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), including T1 and T2* mapping. Results: Myocardial T2* (myoT2*), myocardial T1 (myoT1) and liver T2* (livT2*) were lower in patients compared to controls (33 ± 4 ms vs. 36 ± 3 ms [p = 0.004], 964 ± 33 ms vs. 979 ± 25 ms [p = 0.028] and 21 ± 10 ms vs. 30 ± 5 ms [p p = 0.028] and rs = −0.602 [p p < 0.001). Conclusions: In contemporary hemochromatosis, significant myocardial iron overload is rare. Low myocardial T2* and/or T1 values may warrant closer follow-up for accelerated myocardial iron overload even in patients without overt liver overload. Cardiac T2* mapping sequence allows for liver screening at the time of CMR.

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