HIV infection and abnormal regional ventricular function.

To examine the effect of HIV infection on regional left ventricular dysfunction in cardiovascularly asymptomatic individuals. Nineteen HIV-negative and 27 HIV-positive cardiovascularly asymptomatic study participants in Baltimore, Maryland were selected and underwent tagged cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Regional left ventricular myocardial mid-wall peak systolic circumferential strain (Ecc) and early diastolic strain rate (SRE) of the left ventricle were assessed with the use of the harmonic phase analysis. The average Ecc and SRE measurements were compared between HIV-negative and HIV-positive individuals. Compared with the HIV-negatives, the HIV-positives had lower average Ecc and SRE measurements in 90% of the 16 standard left ventricular segments. Of the 14 segments with decreased Ecc strain, 3 were statistically significant and of 14 with decreased strain rate (SRE), 6 were statistically significant. HIV infection may be associated with subclinical regional left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction in individuals free of overt cardiovascular disease.