Evaluation of Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Objectives: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic multi-systemic inflammatory rheumatic disorder. Several studies have suggested that the interval from the peak to the end of the electrocardiographic T wave (Tp-e) may correspond to the transmural dispersion of repolarization and that increased Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio are associated with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to evaluate ventricular repolarization by using Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio in patients with AS, and to assess the relation with inflammation.

Methods: Sixty-two patients with AS and 50 controls were included. Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were measured from a 12-lead electrocardiogram, and the Tp-e interval corrected for heart rate. The plasma level of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was measured. These parameters were compared between groups.

Results: In electrocardiographic parameters analysis, QT dispersion (QTd) and corrected QTd were significantly increased in AS patients compared to the controls (31.7 ± 9.6 vs 28.2 ± 7.4 and 35.8 ± 11.5 vs 30.6 ± 7.9 ms, P = 0.03 and P = 0.007, respectively). cTp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were also significantly higher in AS patients (92.1 ± 10.2 vs 75.8 ± 8.4 and 0.22 ± 0.02 vs 0.19 ± 0.02 ms, all P values <0.001). cTp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were significantly correlated with hsCRP (r = 0.63, P < 0.001 and r = 0.49, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions: Our study revealed that Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio were increased in AS patients. These electrocardiographic ventricular repolarization indexes were significantly correlated with the plasma level of hsCRP.