NUMBER OF MITOCHONDRIA AS PREDICTING PARAMETER IN DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY - A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP

According to morphological criteria of the myocardium, patients with clinical and hemodynamic signs of dilated cardiomyopathy were divided into three groups. Group I: patients with 1-2 mitochondria per 2 sarcomeres (n = 46); Group II: patients with more than 2 mitochondria per 2 sarcomeres (n = 47); Group III: patients with histological findings of myocarditis in the past (n = 33). Mean follow-up in groups I, II, III was 29, 22, 26 months, respectively (6-58, 3-52, 3-62/median 29, 18, 22). Clinical parameters were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the prospective observation and were classified clinically as "improved, unchanged, deteriorated"; "heart transplantation", "death of cardial causes", "death of other than cardial observation. At the beginning there were no hemodynamic differences between groups I and II, III, except significant difference in ejection fraction and mean ventricular shortening velocity between groups I and II. Scored together with the clinical symptoms "deterioration" and "death of cardial causes" as endpoints, survival rates without event up to 5 years in group I were 83 +/- 7% compared with group II 33 +/- 13% and group I were 83 +/- 8%. There were significant differences (p < 0.01). We conclude that the increased number of mitochondria per 2 sarcomeres in biopsy specimen of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy can be a significant parameter of deteriorated prognosis.