QT dispersion in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the impact of disease activity

One hundred twenty-four patients with SLE were enrolled in the study. Complete history and physical exam, ECG, echocardiography, exercise test and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) were recorded. Twenty patients were excluded on the basis of our exclusion criteria. The patients were divided to two groups based on SLEDAI: 54 in the high-score group (SLEDAI > 10) and 50 in the low-score group (SLEDAI < 10).QT dispersion was significantly higher in high-score group (58.31 ± 18.66 vs. 47.90 ± 17.41 respectively; P < 0.004). QT dispersion was not significantly higher in patients who had received hydroxychloroquine (54.17 ± 19.36 vs. 50.82 ± 15.96, P = 0.45) or corticosteroids (53.58 ± 19.16 vs. 50.40 + 11.59, P = 0.47). There was a statistically significant correlation between abnormal echocardiographic findings (abnormalities of pericardial effusion, pericarditis, pulmonary hypertension and Libman-Sacks endocarditis) and SLEADI (P < 0.004).QT dispersion can be a useful, simple noninvasive method for the early detection of cardiac involvement in SLE patients with active disease. Concerning high chance of cardiac involvement, cardiovascular evaluation for every SLE patient with a SLEDAI higher than 10 may be recommended.Clinicaltrial.gov registration NCT01031797Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a connective tissue disease characterized by the formation of autoantibodies and immune complexes. Patients with SLE have increased morbidity and mortality due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In SLE patients, as in diabetic patients, vascular complications may occur at a younger age than in the general population [1]. Moreover, once they occur, mortality may be about twice as high as in the general population [2]. In three cohort studies [3-5] cardiovascular mortality tended to cluster later in the course of disease, and was equal to and possibly even greater than that due to active lupus [6].Cardiovascular involvement is now considered the third leading cause of d