[Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of heart disease in systemic lupus erythematosus].
OBJECTIVE
To examine heart disease in the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the association of cardiac abnormalities with anticardiolipin antibodies (ACL).


METHODS
Sixteen patients with active SLE disease (group I) were compared with 14 patients without disease activity (group II). A control group of 10 healthy subjects were also evaluated. Patients were subjected to cardiovascular history and physical examination as well as electrocardiogram, thoracic x-ray, two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiogram, and ACL serum determination (ELISA).


RESULTS
Myocardial disease characterized by tachycardia, heart failure or echocardiographic abnormalities was shown by 75% of patients in the group I. It was associated with ACL positive in 27.2% of these patients. Pericardial and valvular involvement were observed in 25% of patients in group I. Group II showed myocardial involvement in 21.4% of patients without positive ACL.


CONCLUSIONS
Myocardial disease was the most frequent heart involvement in active SLE, and we did not found any association between SLE heart disease and positive anticardiolipin antibodies.
Alves
L J
LJ
Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Sorocaba da PUCSP, Apoio CNPq.
Hydalgo
L
L
Rolim
L F
LF
Campagnone
G Z
GZ
Aidar
M T
MT
Novaes
G S
GS
Kalil
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin