title: QT Indexes in Cirrhotic Patients: Relationship with Clinical Variables and Potential Diagnostic Predictive Value.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A wide spectrum of cardiovascular changes characterizes cirrhosis, ranging from subclinical alterations to hyperkinetic syndrome. We looked for ECG markers of ventricular repolarization in a population of patients with cirrhosis in comparison to patients without cirrhosis and we investigated the relationship between these and other clinical and laboratory variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 149 patients with cirrhosis and 152 controls, we measured QT maximum interval (QTmax), QT corrected interval (QTc), QT minimum interval (QTmin), QT dispersion (QTdisp), QT peak and T peak-to-end (TpTe).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In subjects with cirrhosis, in comparison with controls, we observed a higher mean QTmax, mean QTc, mean QTmin, mean QTdisp and mean TpTe. At Cox regression analysis, diastolic blood pressure and beta-blocker treatment were significantly associated with mean QTmax, hypertension with mean QTmin and mean QTc, diastolic blood pressure, beta-blockers and ACE-inhibitors/ARBs with QT disp, and beta-blockers with TpTe. Analysis of ROC curves showed a significant area under curve towards cirrhosis diagnosis, respectively, for a cut-off value of > 400 msec of QTmax, > 360 msec of QTmin, > 450 msec of QTc, > 105 msec of TpTe and > 55 msec of QTdisp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that QT indexes are altered in cirrhotic patients and have a potential diagnostic predictive value.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuttolomondo
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: carmelob147@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buttà
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother-Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casuccio
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Raimondo
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serio
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gisella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Aguanno
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pecoraro
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Renda
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giarrusso
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miceli
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cirrincione
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Ward, Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (Di.Bi.M.I.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Cirrhosis; ECG; QT; Ventricular repolarization