Diagnosis of inherited arrhythmias and prediction of life-threatening arrhythmias in children using newly developed high resolution electrocardiography

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07813
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52050:Embryonic medicine and pediatrics-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Horigome Hitoshi 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (50241823)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 先天性QT延長症候群 / 再分極過程 / T波 / 独立成分分析 / 主成分分析 / 幾何学的形態測定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

High frequency electrocardiographic data were obtained from patients with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) and multivariate analyses were applied to the repolarization process of electrocardiograms (T wave area), and the results were compared with the genotype. Independent component analysis (ICA) revealed that T waves in all normal control subjects were composed of 4 independent components (ICs), and that T waves in LQTS (type 1-3) were 5-7 ICs, including additional abnormal ICs. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the PCA ratios (second/first eigenvector ratios) in LQTS (type 1-3, 7) were higher than those in normal subjects. These results may imply dispersion of repolarization process and resultant inducibility of arrhythmias in LQTS. Furthermore, T waves in LQTS type 3 could be differentiated from those in normal subjects based only on morphology itself, independent of QT intervals, by geometrics morphometrics.

Free Research Field

小児循環器病学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

遺伝性不整脈の代表である先天性QT延長症候群（LQTS）の心電図のT波には重要な電気生理学的情報が含まれている。そこで高精度心電図を記録し、T波部分（再分極過程）のデータに多変量解析法を応用した結果、同法はLQTSの遺伝子型診断に有用であることが判明した。また、再分極過程の不均一性の評価から不整脈発生基質を検出でき、致死的不整脈の予防に役立つ可能性があることが示された。