Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39873364›Full record

ArticleEchocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)2025

Diagnostic Utility of Relative Apical Sparing Index in Cardiac Amyloidosis Subtypes: A Comparative Study of Immunoglobulin Light Chain and Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy.

Yoshihito Saijo, Hirotsugu Yamada, Natsumi Yamaguchi, Susumu Nishio, Robert Zheng, Tomonori Takahashi, Tomoya Hara, Muneyuki Kadota, Yutaka Kawabata, Rie Ueno and 7 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Imaging Advances in Light Chain Amyloidosis.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Yoshihito SaijoCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-1621-0200
Hirotsugu YamadaCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Natsumi YamaguchiUltrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Susumu NishioUltrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Robert ZhengCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Tomonori TakahashiCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Tomoya HaraCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Muneyuki KadotaCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Yutaka KawabataCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Rie UenoCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Tomomi MatsuuraCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Takayuki IseCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Koji YamaguchiCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Shusuke YagiCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Takeshi SoekiCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Tetsuzo WakatsukiCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Masataka SataCardiovascular Department, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSpeckles tracking echocardiography imaging enables clinicians to detect subtle systolic dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the differences in speckle tracking echocardiographic findings between immunoglobulin light chain amyloid cardiomyopathy (AL-CM) and transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (TTR-CM).

methodsThe patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis through cardiac biopsy from March 2013 to October 2022 were included. The relative apical sparing index (RASI) was calculated using speckle tracking echocardiography by the following equation; average apical strain/(average basal strain + mid strain).

resultsThe final study population consisted of 35 patients with cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CM: 10 patients, TTR-CM: 25 patients). The mean age was 74 ± 12 years. Although both subgroups had a gradual change of strain values from basal to apical segments, RASI was significantly lower in AL-CM compared to TTR-CM (0.92 ± 0.29 vs. 1.46 ± 0.53, p = 0.001). A RASI cutoff value of <1.0 proved useful in differentiating the diagnosis of AL-CM from TTR-CM (sensitivity: 81%, specificity: 70%, AUC: 0.82). A significant positive correlation with left ventricular mass index and RASI was found in AL-CM, but not in TTR-CM.

conclusionThe apical sparing phenomenon was more remarkable in TTR-CM compared with AL-CM. RASI might be useful for the discrimination of cardiac amyloidosis subtypes. There was a difference in the relationship of RASI with left ventricular wall thickness between the cardiac amyloidosis subtypes.

Indexed as

Amyloid Neuropathies, FamilialCardiomyopathiesEchocardiographyImmunoglobulin Light-chain AmyloidosisAgedAged, 80 and overDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansMaleMiddle Agedamyloidosisapical sparingcardiac functionspeckle tracking echocardiographystrain

Identifiers

PMID39873364
PMCPMC11774007

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.