Objectives

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disorder, which is characterized by recurrent, episodic fever and acute episodes of serosal membrane inflammation (sterile pleuritis, peritonitis, arthritis, etc). The mutations in the MEFV (MEditerranean FeVer) gene, which encodes a protein as called pyrin, is necessary for the diagnosis of FMF. Mutated pyrin associates with uncontrolled inflammation and that it increases the circulation levels of acute-phase reactants and cytokines secreted by neutrophils. Inflammation plays a key role in the development of the atherosclerotic plaques by forming endothelial damage.

Several studies have demonstrated disorders in the transmural dispersion of repolarization in patients with FMF. Tp-e, which is the interval between the peak and the end of T wave on electrocardiogram, is accepted as an index of transmural dispersion of repolarization; and Tp-e/QT ratio is used as an electrocardiographic index of ventricular arrhythmogenesis. In our study, we aimed to assess ventricular repolarization in patients with FMF by using the Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT ratio.

Methods

A total of 34 patients with FMF (20 female; mean age: 32.4±11.7 years) and 29 controls (12 female; mean age: 30.5±9.99 years) were included. Tp-e interval and QT duration were measured from the 12 derivation electrocardiogram. The Tp-e interval can measure with two different methods. These are tail and tangent methods. Although these methods are using in the measurement of the Tp-e interval, the tail method is a better predictor of mortality than the tangent method. Therefore, we used the tail method in present study. Measurements of Tp-e interval were performed from precordial derivations, but lead V2 was selected for measuring. The Tp-e/QT ratio was calculated from lead V2.

Methods

A total of 34 patients with FMF (20 female; mean age: 32.4±11.7 years) and 29 controls (12 female; mean age: 30.5±9.99 years) were included. Tp-e interval and QT duration were measured from the 12 derivation electrocardiogram. The Tp-e interval can measure with two different methods. These are tail and tangent methods. Although these methods are using in the measurement of the Tp-e interval, the tail method is a better predictor of mortality than the tangent method. Therefore, we used the tail method in present study. Measurements of Tp-e interval were performed from precordial derivations, but lead V2 was selected for measuring. The Tp-e/QT ratio was calculated from lead V2.