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(Ivanhoe Newswire) Researchers believe a fever can trigger life-threatening changes in patients suffering from the potentially fatal heart disease, long QT syndrome (LQT-2).
The long QT syndrome is a heart condition associated with fainting and sudden death.
Scientists believe the prolongation of a specific interval of time (QT interval) in the hearts electrical cycle is caused by mutations in the HERG gene. However, not much is known about what triggers episodes of LQT-2.
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Researchers from the Netherlands and the University of Wisconsin in Madison measured the electrical activity in the heart over time of two LQT-2 patients. Both had the same HERG mutation. The scientists found fever was associated with prolonged QT intervals in these individuals.
Arthur Wild and Craig January, the team leaders, injected the mutation into a cultured human cell line. It had the same effect as in the patients, including altered electrical currents across cell membranes at high temperatures caused by fever.
They concluded similar changes in heart cells at the high temperatures associated with fever could trigger the potentially lethal electrical activity.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Investigation, June 2008
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/
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