title: P wave dispersion and QT dispersion in adult Turkish migrants with familial mediterranean fever living in Germany.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disease associated with subclinical inflammation, which includes atherosclerosis arising from endothelial inflammation, which in turn increases the risk of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias. Conduction abnormalities can be detected using the electrocardiographic (ECG) indices P and QT dispersion (Pdisp and QTdisp). Currently, it is unknown whether patients with FMF are more likely to have abnormalities of these ECG indices. Moreover, existing studies were conducted in countries with higher FMF prevalence. We therefore perform the first prospective study assessing Pdisp and QTdisp in adult FMF patients in Germany, where prevalence of FMF is low.
  
  
  METHODS
  Asymptomatic FMF patients (n=30) of Turkish ancestry living in Germany and age-matched healthy controls (n=37) were prospectively assessed using 12-lead ECG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients and controls were comparable in gender and body mass index, and patients had higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) compared to controls (ESR: 23.7±14.3 vs. 16.1±13,3 mm/1(st)h, p=0.03, CRP: 0.73±0.9 vs. 0.26±0.4 g/dl, p=0.01, SAA: 3.14±4,8 vs. 0.37±0.3 mg/dl, p<0.01). No statistically significant difference between patients and controls respectively, for Pdisp (43.7±11.9 vs. 47.1±11.2ms, p=0.23), QTdisp (65.9±12.3 vs. 67.6±12.7 ms, p=0.58) or corrected QTdisp (cQTdisp: 73.9±15.0 vs. 76.0±13.3 ms, p=0.55) was found. No correlation could be found between Pdisp or QTdisp or cQTdisp and any of the biochemical markers of inflammation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FMF patients living in Germany show a Pdisp and QTdisp comparable to healthy controls, with no increased risk of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias indicated.
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef-Hospital, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791 Bochum, Germany ; 2. Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany.
authors.forename: Arnd
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany ; 3. Institute for Radiologic Diagnostics, Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ornek
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurucay
authors.affiliation: 4. Department of Internal Medicine II, St. Josef-Hospital, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Kaffer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: 5. Department of Paediatric Rheumatology and Immunology, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Germany ; 6. AID-NET Autoinflammatory disorders (AID) in children: Genetics, disease mechanisms, diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, Essen and Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wittkowski
authors.affiliation: 5. Department of Paediatric Rheumatology and Immunology, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Germany ; 6. AID-NET Autoinflammatory disorders (AID) in children: Genetics, disease mechanisms, diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, Essen and Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Faekah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gohar
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef-Hospital, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Bjoern A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Menge
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef-Hospital, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef-Hospital, Medical Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeidler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004562:Electrocardiography; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D014171:Transients and Migrants
chemical_list: D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Arrythmia risk; Familial Mediterranean Fever; Germany; P dispersion; QT dispersion; Turkish migrants