Effect of ambrisentan on echocardiographic and Doppler measures from patients in China with pulmonary arterial hypertension

ABSTRACT

Background

We retrospectively evaluated the echocardiographic data of ambrisentan-treated patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (NCT01808313).

Methods

Change from baseline in right ventricle (RV) systolic function, right heart structure, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) prognosis to Weeks 12 and 24 was evaluated by echocardiography.

Results

In the overall population, the mean tissue Doppler-derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (S’) increased by 0.6 cm/s at both Weeks 12 (p < 0.001) and 24 (p = 0.004) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion increased by 0.13 cm at Week 12 and 0.15 cm at Week 24 (both p < 0.001). A marked decrease in transverse and longitudinal RV and RA diameter at Weeks 12 and 24 was observed. A significant decrease in diastolic eccentricity index at both Weeks 12 (−0.1; p = 0.02) and 24 (−0.1; p = 0.001). The decrease in PASP from baseline was significant at both Weeks 12 (−9.5 mmHg; p<0.001) and 24 (-7.6 mmHg; p<0.001), while a decrease in the estimated right atrium pressure was found to be significant at Week 24 (−0.8mmHg; p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Significant improvements in a number of RV echocardiographic parameters were observed at Weeks 12 and 24 after ambrisentan treatment in patients with PAH.

KEYWORDS:

• Ambrisentan
• echocardiography
• pulmonary artery systolic pressure
• right atrium diameter
• right ventricle diameter
• systolic and diastolic eccentricity index
• tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion

Article highlights

• Echocardiography of ambrisentan-treated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients

• A number of echocardiographic parameters showed significant improvements at Week 12

• The effect was maintained up to 24 weeks with ambrisentan treatment

• Ambrisentan improved PAH in connective tissue disease (CTD) and non CTD subgroups

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support of investigators, staff, and study volunteers for participation in the study. Medical writing assistance was provided by Ruchi Gupta (Tata Consultancy Services, India) and funded by GlaxoSmithKline.

Declaration of interest

JH Li and L Zi were employed by GlaxoSmithKlein during the investigation. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose. 

Additional information

Funding

This paper was funded by GlaxoSmithKlein (China) R&D Company Limited.