Value of QT dispersion analysis for noninvasive detection of cardiac allograft rejection

Abstract

1/2 }, are measures of the spatial irregularity of myocardial electrical conduction. Both have been identified as risk markers in relation to several cardiopathies, and increased QTc dispersion has been related to increased risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death.5 and 6 For example, there is growing evidence that QT dispersion and QTc dispersion are correlated with the risk of sudden death among patients with congestive heart failure,7 left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,8 ischemic cardiopathy,9 or mitral valve prolapse.10 QT dispersion is also increased in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.11 It has been suggested that QT dispersion may be a useful marker or predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to complex ventricular arrhythmias in patients with rheumatoid arthritis12 or Duchenne muscular dystrophy13 or of increased risk of cardiac complications in liver transplant candidates.14 The usefulness of QT dispersion analysis in heart transplant patients is still unknown, and few studies have been done in this area. It has been suggested that cardiac allograft vasculopathy results in ventricular repolarization abnormalities that can be detected by an increase in QTc dispersion15 and that QT dispersion might serve as a noninvasive marker of resolution of allograft dysfunction.16 Here we report the results of a study of the relationship between QT dispersion and AR status as determined by EMB.