Evaluation of atrial conduction properties and atrial arrhythmia propensity in vitiligo patients

Abstract

Aims: Vitiligo is a skin condition characterized by melanocyte loss. It is thought to have a robust association with various systemic and metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent disorder in clinical practice and appears to be predictable by atrial electromechanical delay (EMD). This study aimed to detect atrial conduction time through tissue Doppler echocardiography, a non-invasive method used for patients with vitiligo. Methods: We conducted this study with 32 patients diagnosed with generalized vitiligo and 38 age- and sex-matched controls. We evaluated all participants' blood samples, including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and other laboratory parameters. Then, we calculated atrial EMD, intra-atrial EMD, and left atrial EMD. Results: We found neutrophil count, NLR levels, and hs-CRP levels to be significantly higher in the vitiligo group (6 ± 1.4 vs. 4.5 ± 2.3, p = 0.001; 3.5 ± 1.4 vs. 2.5 ± 1.9, p = 0.024; 6.2 ± 1.9 mg/dl vs. 4.1 ± 1.3 mg/dl, p < 0.001, respectively). In addition, inter-atrial and intra-atrial EMD were significantly higher in the vitiligo group compared to the control group (36.3 ± 8.5 vs. 24.2 ± 10.8, p < 0.001; 18.1 ± 8.3 vs. 10.9 ± 5.8, p < 0.001, respectively). Finally, left atrial EMD was higher in the vitiligo group, but we could not reach statistical significance (15.3 ± 6.9 vs. 13.2 ± 7.2, p = 0.33). Conclusion: We concluded that intra-atrial EMD and inter-atrial EMD were significantly prolonged in the vitiligo patients. Our results suggest that vitiligo patients are at risk for atrial fibrillation.