Prolongation of the QTc-interval reflects the severity of autonomic neuropathy in primary biliary cirrhosis and in other non-alcoholic liver diseases.
It was the aim of our study to prove a potential correlation (a) between laboratory findings of cholestasis and autonomic neuropathy (AN) and (b) between the severity of AN and the prolongation of the corrected QT-time (QTc). The five standard tests of autonomic cardiac neuropathy were investigated. QTc was calculated according to Bazett's formula. 12 out of 14 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, 18 out of 21 patients with HBsAg positive liver diseases and 11 out of 14 patients with cirrhosis of other origin had AN. No significant correlation between the laboratory parameters of cholestasis and AN was found. Abnormal QTc values (> 440 m/sec) were observed significantly more often (p < 0.002) in patients with AN than in patients without AN. Significant linear regression (p < 0.01) could be confirmed between the prolongation of the QTc-time and the severity of AN. Besides the non-invasive investigation of the cardiovascular reflexes the evaluation of the QT-time might be an additional diagnostic means to identify patients with an increased cardiovascular risk in chronic non-alcoholic liver diseases.
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens