Acute left ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction: coupling of regional healing with remote extracellular matrix expansion.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This prospective study aimed to assess regional and temporal patterns of extracellular matrix (ECM) changes post-myocardial infarction (MI). BACKGROUND: A fundamental process in the development of ischemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is LV remodeling, characterized by structural and functional abnormalities throughout the myocardium including the noninfarcted (remote) myocardium and interstitium. METHODS: Contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed on MI patients acutely (mean: 5 days post-MI, n = 25) and repeated subacutely (mean: 139 days post-MI, n = 21), and was also performed in a separate group of 15 patients with chronic MI (mean: 2,580 days post..