title: Assessment of atrial conduction time in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased inflammatory activity is known to be a pathophysiologic characteristic of atrial fibrillation. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a disease characterized by recurrent and sustained increased inflammatory activity. Atrial conduction abnormalities in these patients have not been investigated in terms of P-wave duration, P-wave dispersion (Pd), and atrial electromechanical delay measured by tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE). We aimed to assess atrial conduction time in patients with FMF.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 33 patients with FMF (13 males/20 females, 28.4 +/- 12.5 years), and 33 controls (13 males/20 females, 28.5 +/- 12.1 years) were included. Atrial electromechanical coupling (PA) and intra- and interatrial electromechanical delay were measured with TDE. From the 12-lead electrocardiogram Pd was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Atrial electromechanical coupling at the left lateral mitral annulus (PA lateral) was significantly higher in FMF patients (58.0 +/- 9.0 vs 51.0 +/- 5.8, P < 0.001). Interatrial (PA lateral-PA tricuspid) and intraatrial electromechanical delay (PA septum-PA tricuspid) were significantly longer in FMF patients (21.3 +/- 7.4 vs 12.9 +/- 4.6, P < 0.001 and 4.7 +/- 5.5 vs 2.1 +/- 1.7, P = 0.01, respectively). Also, Pd and maximum P-wave duration were significantly higher in FMF patients (42.8 +/- 7.9 vs 35.3 +/- 6.1, P < 0.001 and 98.6 +/- 9.0 vs 93.1 +/- 8.5, P = 0.01, respectively). A positive correlation was detected between interatrial electromechanical delay and Pd (r = 0.622, P < 0.001). Plasma level of C-reactive protein (CRP) correlated with interatrial electromechanical delay and Pd (r = 0.733, P < 0.001; and r = 0.427, P < 0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that atrial electromechanical delay and Pd are prolonged in FMF patients. Atrial electromechanical delay is closely associated with Pd and plasma level of CRP.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, Turkey. gurkandracar@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Gurkan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akcay
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sayarlioglu
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sokmen
authors.forename: Gulizar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sokmen
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koroglu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ispiroglu
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tuncer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac / Q000379:methods*; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity