ISSN: 1449-1907International Journal of Medical Sciences
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Int J Med Sci 2014; 11(11):1140-1146. doi:10.7150/ijms.9444 This issue Cite
Research Paper
P Wave Dispersion and QT Dispersion in Adult Turkish Migrants with Familial Mediterranean Fever Living in Germany
1. Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef-Hospital, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791 Bochum, Germany
2. Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany
3. Institute for Radiologic Diagnostics, Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
4. Department of Internal Medicine II, St. Josef-Hospital, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
5. Department of Paediatric Rheumatology and Immunology, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Germany
6. AID-NET Autoinflammatory disorders (AID) in children: Genetics, disease mechanisms, diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, Essen and Muenster, Germany
Abstract
Background: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disease associated with subclinical inflammation, which includes atherosclerosis arising from endothelial inflammation, which in turn increases the risk of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias. Conduction abnormalities can be detected using the electrocardiographic (ECG) indices P and QT dispersion (Pdisp and QTdisp). Currently, it is unknown whether patients with FMF are more likely to have abnormalities of these ECG indices. Moreover, existing studies were conducted in countries with higher FMF prevalence. We therefore perform the first prospective study assessing Pdisp and QTdisp in adult FMF patients in Germany, where prevalence of FMF is low.
Method: Asymptomatic FMF patients (n=30) of Turkish ancestry living in Germany and age-matched healthy controls (n=37) were prospectively assessed using 12-lead ECG.
Results: Patients and controls were comparable in gender and body mass index, and patients had higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) compared to controls (ESR: 23.7±14.3 vs. 16.1±13,3 mm/1sth, p=0.03, CRP: 0.73±0.9 vs. 0.26±0.4 g/dl, p=0.01, SAA: 3.14±4,8 vs. 0.37±0.3 mg/dl, p<0.01). No statistically significant difference between patients and controls respectively, for Pdisp (43.7±11.9 vs. 47.1±11.2ms, p=0.23), QTdisp (65.9±12.3 vs. 67.6±12.7 ms, p=0.58) or corrected QTdisp (cQTdisp: 73.9±15.0 vs. 76.0±13.3 ms, p=0.55) was found. No correlation could be found between Pdisp or QTdisp or cQTdisp and any of the biochemical markers of inflammation.
Conclusion: FMF patients living in Germany show a Pdisp and QTdisp comparable to healthy controls, with no increased risk of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias indicated.
Keywords: Familial Mediterranean Fever, Turkish migrants, P dispersion, QT dispersion, Germany, Arrythmia risk
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