Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the effect of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) on right ventricular function in tumor patients by two-dimensional speckle tracking technique.
Methods From June 2018 to November 2020, 46 cancer inpatients who had never used ICIs and needed further ICIs treatment in the Department of Urology and Oncology of the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University were selected. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed at baseline (pre-ICIs), 21 days (T1), 42 days (T2), 63 days (T3), 84 days (T4), 105 days (T5), and 126 days (T6) after administration. The changes of left and right ventricular parameters before and after treatment were compared, and the changes of right ventricular longitudinal strain were evaluated by two-dimensional speckle tracking technique.
Results Compared with before treatment, the plane systolic excursion of tricuspid annulus was shorter (15.15±3.42 mm vs18.56±5.69 mm, P=0.000 1), right ventricular global longitudinal strain(-15.76±3.27)% vs (-18.43±4.75)%, P=0.003 1 and right ventricular outflow tract longitudinal strain(-11.83±3.74)% vs (-15.18±5.60)%, P=0.000 1) decreased significantly, and the changes mostly occurred in T1-2 phases (84%, 62%, and 70%, respectively). Before and after treatment, the right ventricular basal diameter, right ventricular middle diameter, right ventricular long diameter, right ventricular area change percentage were normal.
Conclusions The right ventricular systolic function may decline after PD-1/PD-L1 ICIs treatment, and the decline mostly occurred at 21-42 days after the treatment; And two-dimensional speckle tracking and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion can be used to analyze the decline of right ventricular function in the early stage.