title: Influence of interferon therapy on signal-averaged and ambulatory electrocardiograms in patients with chronic active hepatitis.
abstract: Although interferon (IFN) shows cardiotoxicity and arrhythmogenesis, the influence of IFN on signal-averaged electrocardiography remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to test a clinical hypothesis that IFN therapy for hepatitis C virus may induce ventricular late potentials (LPs) and related arrhythmias in patients with chronic active hepatitis. Signal-averaged and ambulatory electrocardiograms were recorded sequentially in patients with chronic active hepatitis C (n = 22) throughout the entire period of IFN therapy. The filtered QRS duration (fQRS) and low amplitude (< 40 microV) signal duration (LAS40) were significantly increased (95.5 +/- 8.5 to 99.6 +/- 9.4 msec, P < 0.0001, and 32.8 +/- 3.1 to 36.3 +/- 3.0 msec, P < 0.0001, respectively), whereas the root mean square voltage in the terminal 40 msec of the fQRS (RMS40) was significantly decreased (25.5 +/- 5.4 to 22.3 +/- 5.2 microV, P < 0.005) 1 month after starting the IFN therapy. The ventricular LP was negative in all subjects before starting therapy, but became positive in 7 patients after the therapy commenced. There were no differences in clinical baseline characteristics between the LP-positive (n = 7) and LP-negative (n = 15) groups. Significant increases in mean heart rate, fQRS, and LAS40 were observed after starting the therapy, irrespective of the appearance of the ventricular LP, whereas a decrease in RMS40 was observed only in the LP-positive group. No sustained ventricular arrhythmias were documented in the ambulatory electrocardiography and no cardiac events were encountered in the follow-up period. Therefore, the results indicate a reversible and subclinical risk of IFN-induced arrhythmogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007372:Interferons