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. 2012:2012:170510.
doi: 10.1155/2012/170510. Epub 2012 May 15.

The Association between Myocardial Iron Load and Ventricular Repolarization Parameters in Asymptomatic Beta-Thalassemia Patients

Mehmet Kayrak  1 , Kadir Acar, Enes Elvin Gul, Orhan Ozbek, Turyan Abdulhalikov, Osman Sonmez, Hajrudin Alibaşiç
Affiliations

The Association between Myocardial Iron Load and Ventricular Repolarization Parameters in Asymptomatic Beta-Thalassemia Patients

Mehmet Kayrak et al. Adv Hematol. 2012.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated impaired ventricular repolarization in patients with β-TM. However, the effect of iron overload with cardiac T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on cardiac repolarization remains unclear yet. We aimed to examine relationship between repolarization parameters and iron loading using cardiac T2* MRI in asymptomatic β-TM patients. Twenty-two β-TM patients and 22 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled to the study. From the 12-lead surface electrocardiography, regional and transmyocardial repolarization parameters were evaluated manually by two experienced cardiologists. All patients were also undergone MRI for cardiac T2* evaluation. Cardiac T2* score <20 msec was considered as iron overload status. Of the QT parameters, QT duration, corrected QT interval, and QT peak duration were significantly longer in the β-TM group compared to the healthy controls. T(p) - T(e) and T(p) - T(e) dispersions were also significantly prolonged in β-TM group compared to healthy controls. (T(p) - T(e))/QT was similar between groups. There was no correlation between repolarization parameters and cardiac T2* MRI values. In conclusion, although repolarization parameters were prolonged in asymptomatic β-TM patients compared with control, we could not find any relation between ECG findings and cardiac iron load.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Measurement of P wave parameters on 12-lead surface ECG.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A comparison of QT, QTc, and QTp in patients with β-TM and healthy controls.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A comparison of T p − T e and (T p − T e)d in patients with β-TM and healthy controls.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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