Increased QT Dispersion in Sickle Cell Disease: Effect of Pulmonary Hypertension

Vol. 118, No. 1, 2007

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Original Paper

Increased QT Dispersion in Sickle Cell Disease: Effect of Pulmonary Hypertension
Ferit Akgül^a, Ergün Seyfeli^a, Idot smet Melek^b, Ta scedil kin Duman^b, Tunzale Seydaliyeva^a, Edip Gali^c, Fatih Yalç inodot n^a

^aCardiology Department,
^bNeurologyDepartment, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University and
^cDepartment of Pediatrics, Antakya State Hospital, Antakya, Turkey

Address of Corresponding Author

Acta Haematol 2007;118:1-6 (DOI: 10.1159/000100929)

Key Words

Pulmonary hypertension
QT dispersion
Sickle cell disease
Ventricular repolarization

Abstract

Background: QT dispersion has been proposed to be a predictor of adverse outcomes in a variety of cardiac disease states. The objective of this study was to examine QT dispersion in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and to assess the effect of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) on QT dispersion. Methods: We performed Doppler echocardiographic assessments of pulmonary artery systolic pressure in 73 (mean age 18.5 ± 8.0 years) steady-state SCD patients and 25 (mean age 19.6 ± 7.2 years) healthy subjects. Resting 12-lead electrocardiogram was recorded and QT dispersion was calculated as the difference between maximum and minimum QT intervals. Bazett's formula was used to obtain a rate-corrected value of the QT interval (QTc). Results: Maximum QTc, minimum QTc and QTc dispersion were significantly increased in SCD patients compared to the control subjects (p < 0.0001, p < 0.05, p < 0.0001, respectively). Among SCD patients, patients with PHT had higher maximum QTc and QTc dispersion than patients without PHT (p < 0.0001). However, minimum QTc showed no significant differences between the two patient groups. Conclusion: QTc dispersion is significantly increased in SCD patients, especially those with PHT indicating regional inhomogeneity of ventricular repolarization.

Author Contacts

Ferit Akgül
Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi, Ara scedil t inodot rma ve Uygulama Hastanesi
Ba gbreve r inodot yan inodot k Mah. 31100
Antakya-Hatay (Turkey)
Tel. +90 326 214 0649, Fax +90 326 614 3834, E-Mail feritakgul1@yahoo.ca

Article Information

Received: October 24, 2006
Accepted after revision: January 14, 2007
Published online: March 20, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 33

Medline Abstract (ID 17374947)

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