Atrial electromechanical delay and diastolic dysfunction in primary Sjögren syndrome

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rheumatology
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Primary Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease primarily affecting exocrine glands.
• Cardiac involvement in SS is increasingly recognized but not fully characterized.
• Understanding myocardial and atrial function in SS is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate myocardial function and atrial electromechanical properties in patients with primary SS.
• To compare echocardiographic findings between SS patients and healthy controls.
• To identify potential cardiac biomarkers in primary SS.

Main Methods:

• Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography were used in 40 SS patients and 25 healthy volunteers.
• Myocardial performance index (MPI) was assessed to evaluate global systolic and diastolic function.
• Intra-atrial and inter-atrial electromechanical delay were measured to assess atrial conduction.

Main Results:

• Patients with primary SS showed significantly disturbed myocardial performance index values compared to controls (0.41 vs. 0.32, p < 0.01).
• Significant intra-atrial (16.4±6.4 vs. 5.0±4.5, p < 0.01) and inter-atrial (30.6±10.1 vs. 15.4±5.9, p < 0.01) electromechanical delay was observed in SS patients.
• Basal demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between the SS and control groups.

Conclusions:

• Myocardial function is demonstrably disturbed in patients with primary SS.
• Significant atrial electromechanical delay is present in individuals with primary SS.
• This study provides the first evidence of altered myocardial function and atrial electromechanical properties in primary SS, suggesting subclinical cardiac involvement.