Correlation between iron stores and QTc dispersion in chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the QT dispersion and corrected QT (QTc) dispersion which are suggested as the signals of ventricular arrhythmias, in patients on maintenance CAPD and to evaluate the correlation between iron stores and these electrocardiographic parameters.


METHODS
Fifty-eight patients on maintenance CAPD and 19 healthy age- and sex-matched adults without cardiac disease were included. The PD patients were divided into two groups according to whether their computerized measurements of QTc dispersion were longer than 65 ms.


RESULTS
Although QT interval was statistically significantly shorter in control group (34 ± 28 vs. 43 ± 34 ms; p < 0.05), there was no significant difference in regards to the QTc, QT dispersion and QTc dispersion between two groups. PD patients with QTc dispersion longer than 65 ms had higher levels of serum ferritin (p = 0.038) and transferrin saturation (TSAT; p = 0.022) than the others. QTc dispersion were positively correlated with ferritin (r = 0.469, p < 0.01) and TSAT (r = 0.430, p < 0.01) in CAPD patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Although prolonged QTc, QT dispersion and QTc dispersion were suggested as the markers of ventricular arrhythmias we did not find any significant difference in regards to these parameters between control patients and CAPD patients. But the high body iron stores in these patients increase the risk of increased QT dispersion. The concern over iron overload in dialysis patients is not only because of its oxidative toxicity, but also its precipitation of arrhythmias, which may be measured by the surrogate marker of QTc dispersion.
Department of Nephrology, Turgut Ozal University Medical School , Ankara , Turkey .
Nuket
N
Bavbek
Hakki
H
Yilmaz
Haci Kemal
HK
Erdemli
Yusuf
Y
Selcuki
Murat
M
Duranay
Ali
A
Akçay
D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000150:complications; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins