Statistical analysis of echocardiography indices and indices of collagenolysis system in patients with chronic heart failure

We studied the interrelation between the echocardiographic indices and the indices of collagenolysis system in 68 patients with progressive chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and thick walls of the left ventricle. We found that while the tissue inhibitor TIMP-1 level is independent of the left ventricular dilation status, after being normalized to the individual matrix metalloproteinases 1, 3, 9 levels it appears significantly higher in patients without left ventricular dilation indications. Therefore we suggest that the matrix metalloproteinases levels are more important diagnostic indicators in patients with dilation than the TIMP-1 level itself. Furthermore, significant cross-correlations between the echocardiographic indices and the indices of collagenolysis system have been observed and quantified by linear regression analysis. The found relations could appear useful in the dilation status prediction as well as in the heart failure prognosis.