The Assessment of Tp-e Interval and Tp-e/QT Ratio in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis
Çağrı YAYLA1, Müçteba Enes YAYLA2, Kadriye GAYRETLİ YAYLA3, Ufuk İLGEN2, Mehmet Kadri AKBOĞA1, Nurşen DÜZGÜN4
1Department of Cardiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
2Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty of Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
3Department of Cardiology, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
4Department of Rheumatology, Medical Faculty of Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
Keywords: Systemic sclerosis, Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio
Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to investigate ventricular repolarization using T-peak to T-end (Tp-e) intervals and Tp-e/QT ratios in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Patients and methods: Totally 65 patients (8 males, 57 females; mean age 49.8 years; range 20 to 77 years) with SSc and 63 control subjects (8 males, 55 females; mean age 49.3 years; range 20 to 77 years) were enrolled. Tp-e intervals, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/corrected QT (QTc) ratios were measured from the 12-lead electrocardiogram.
Results: Tp-e intervals, QT intervals, QTc intervals, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QTc ratios were significantly higher in patients with SSc than control subjects (all p<0.01). There was no difference between patients with diffuse and limited cutaneous SSc in terms of electrocardiogram and echocardiographic findings. Correlation analysis revealed no correlation between Tp-e intervals, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QTc ratios with disease duration and anti-Sjögren’s syndrome antigen A antibody levels in patients with SSc (all p>0.05).
Conclusion: Our study showed that Tp-e intervals, Tp-e/QT, and Tp-e/QTc ratios were increased in patients with SSc than control subjects. The increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias can be clarified by increased indexes of ventricular repolarization parameters in patients with SSc.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.