Brugada综合征患者的心电图及临床特点分析

目的分析Brugada综合征患者的心电图及临床特点。方法对我院近5年诊断的8例Brugada综合征住院患者的心电图及临床情况进行长期随访观察。结果8例Brugada综合征患者均为男性，年龄平均（40±13）岁。心电图Ⅰ型Brugada波者3例，Ⅱ型4例，Ⅲ型1例；Brugada波具有多变性，提高肋间描记右胸导联心电图可显现Brugada波或使其更明显。8例中4例有猝死家族史，5例有晕厥史，3例在住院期间发生室速／室颤，随访期间2例猝死。结论心电图Brugada波（尤其Ⅰ型）是诊断Brugada综合征的必要条件，明确诊断Brugada综合征尚需联合其他几项临床指标；Brugada综合征患者猝死的风险高，消除晕厥或室速／室颤的诱因是预防的关键。     

Brugada综合征SCN5A基因的三个新突变

目的 研究Brugada综合征相关基因SCN5A突变情况。方法 以4例Brugada综合征患者和9例临床可疑Brugada综合征患者为研究对象,采用聚合酶链反应和双脱氧末端终止测序法对所有患者进行SCNSA基因扫描。对阳性结果者进行家系中其他成员的筛查。结果 在1个Brugada综合征家系发现两个杂合突变,即SCN5A基因第3外显子上发现一错义突变（G283A）,导致代表缬氨酸残基的第95位密码子突变为异亮氨酸残基（V95I）,第28外显子上也发现一错义突变（CA946T）,导致代表丙氨酸的第1649位密码子突变为缬氨酸（A1649V）。在1个临床可疑Brugada综合征家系发现一杂合突变,即SCN5A基因第28外显子缺失3个碱基（TCT）,导致代表苯丙氨酸残基的第1617位密码子缺失（delF1617）。结论 在Brugada综合征患者发现了3个SCN5A基因新突变（V95I、A1649V、delF1617）。     

Brugada Syndrome,Exercise, and Exercise Testing

There are few data on the risk of exercise and the role of exercise stress testing in Brugada syndrome. We sought to address this deficiency using a systematic literature review. We identified 98 English‐language articles possibly addressing exercise in Brugada syndrome by searching PubMed and Google Scholar from January 1990 through November 2013 using the keywords “Brugada syndrome,” “exercise,” “exercise testing,” and “syncope” alone and in combinations. Abstracts were reviewed, and those articles pertaining to Brugada syndrome and exercise were reviewed in full. We identified 18 articles reporting on Brugada syndrome and exercise. This pool included 2 large studies of 93 and 50 Brugada subjects undergoing exercise testing, plus 16 case reports. There were no reports of exercise‐related sudden death, but there were 4 cases of syncope after exercise. We identified 166 Brugada patients who underwent exercise testing. During exercise testing, there were 2 reports of ventricular tachycardia and 1 report of multiple ventricular extrasystoles. ST‐segment elevation increased (ST augmentation) during the early recovery phase of exercise in 57% of patients. Exercise unmasked a Brugada electrocardiographic pattern in 5 patients. Exercise is associated with syncope and ST augmentation after exercise and may be helpful in unmasking Brugada syndrome. There are insufficient data on the risks of exercise in Brugada syndrome to make recommendations for exercise, but the observations that exercise can worsen the ST abnormalities in Brugada and produce ventricular arrhythmias suggest that patients with Brugada syndrome should be restricted from vigorous exercise.     

Brugada Syndrome: A Heterogeneous Disease with a Common ECG Phenotype?

Our understanding of Brugada syndrome (BrS) has evolved since the syndrome was first described in 1992. BrS is considered to be a primary inherited channelopathy often involving the inward sodium current and the diagnosis has traditionally required the exclusion of overt structural heart disease. In view of recently published observations about BrS, we propose that the term BrS may actually encompass a heterogeneous group of disorders with a variety of genetic and clinical phenotypes. This disease has classically been described as a primary electrical disorder involving the sodium channel leading to the characteristic electrocardiogram (ECG) changes of BrS. We challenge the current understanding and propose that patients with structurally normal hearts, family history of sudden cardiac death, with associated genetic abnormalities only account for a subset of patients with the “Brugada pattern” ECG. There may also be some patients with a diagnosis of BrS who may also have features which overlap with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. In these patients there may be an underlying structural abnormality. In this context, it is possible that catheter ablation may abolish the “Brugada pattern” ECG changes as well as abolishing the risk of life threatening arrhythmias in these patients. Given the recent developments in the field, we propose a novel comprehensive multimodality model for risk stratification and assessment of patients with BrS. Identification of variations of diseases may facilitate more specific risk stratification models and management paradigms in patients with Brugada ECG pattern.     

High risk for bradyarrhythmic complications in patients with Brugada syndrome caused by SCN5A gene mutations.

OBJECTIVES: We carried out a complete screening of the SCN5A gene in 38 Japanese patients with Brugada syndrome to investigate the genotype-phenotype relationship. BACKGROUND: The gene SCN5A encodes the pore-forming alpha-subunit of voltage-gated cardiac sodium (Na) channel, which plays an important role in heart excitation/contraction. Mutations of SCN5A have been identified in 15% of patients with Brugada syndrome. METHODS: In 38 unrelated patients with clinically diagnosed Brugada syndrome, we screened for SCN5A gene mutations using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and direct sequencing, and conducted a functional assay for identified mutations using whole-cell patch-clamp in heterologous expression system. RESULTS: Four heterozygous mutations were identified (T187I, D356N, K1578fs/52, and R1623X) in 4 of the 38 patients. All of them had bradyarrhythmic complications: three with sick sinus syndrome (SSS) and the other (D356N) with paroxysmal complete atrioventricular block. SCN5A-linked Brugada patients were associated with a higher incidence of bradyarrhythmia (4 of 4) than non-SCN5A-linked Brugada patients (2 of 34). Families with T187I and K1578fs/52 had widespread penetrance of SSS. Notably, the patient with K1578fs/52, who had been diagnosed as having familial SSS without any clinical signs of Brugada syndrome, showed a Brugada-type ST-segment elevation after intravenous administration of pilsicainide and programmed electrical stimulation-induced ventricular tachycardia. All of the mutations encoded non-functional Na channels, and thus were suggested to cause impulse propagation defect underlying bradyarrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that loss-of-function SCN5A mutations resulting in Brugada syndrome are distinguished by profound bradyarrhythmias.     

Brugada Syndrome: Current Clinical Aspects and Risk Stratification

Brugada syndrome is a primary electrical disease of the heart that causes sudden cardiac death or life‐threatening ventricular arrhythmias, especially in younger men. Genetic analysis supports that this syndrome is a cardiac ion channel disease. A typical electrocardiographic finding consists of a right bundle branch block pattern and ST‐segment elevation in the right precordial leads. The higher intercostal space V₁ to V₃ lead electrocardiogram could be helpful in detecting Brugada patients. Although two types of the ST‐segment elevation are present, the coved type is more relevant to the syndrome than the saddle‐back type. These patterns can be present permanently or intermittently. Recent data suggest that the Brugada‐type electrocardiogram is more prevalent than the manifest Brugada syndrome. Asymptomatic individuals have a much lower incidence of future cardiac events than the symptomatic patients. Although risk stratification for the Brugada syndrome is still incomplete, the inducibility of sustained ventricular arrhythmias has been proposed as a good outcome predictor in this syndrome. In noninvasive techniques, some clinical evidence supports that late potentials detected by signal‐averaged electrocardiography are a useful index for identifying patients at risk. The available data recommend prophylactic implantation of an imptantabie cardioverter defibrillator to prevent sudden cardiac death. This review summarizes recent information of the syndrome by reviewing most of new clinical reports and speculates on its risk stratification. A.N.E. 2002;7(3):251–262     

中国汉族人Brugada综合征患者SCN5A基因Ⅳ区一个新的突变

背景 Brugada 综合征是一种易导致猝死的具有遗传倾向的疾病,与编码心肌钠通道的基因突变有关。目的研究中国 Brulgada 综合征患者 SCN5A 基因的碱基改变情况。方法对15例先证者及家系进行直接SCN5A 基因测序。DNA 来源于患者外周血白细胞。全部28个外显子通过设计的40对引物进行 PCR 扩增,扩增后的产物直接测序。结果在一个家系上发现了一个错义突变,即 G5080A(R1628Q),该突变导致心肌细胞钠通道的α亚基第Ⅳ结构域的第4片段发生改变。在150个正常对照者未发现此碱基改变。结论 G5080A(R1628Q)可能是中国 Brugada 综合征患者 SCN5A 基因新的突变位点。     

BRUGADA SYNDROME

Brugada syndrome is a rare cardiac arrhythmia characterized by electrocardiographic right bundle branch block and persistent ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads. It is associated with ventricular fibrillation and a high risk for sudden cardiac death, predominantly in younger males with structurally normal hearts. Patients can remain asymptomatic, and electrocardiographic patterns can occur both spontaneously or after pharmacological induction. So far, several pathogenic genes have been identified as associated with the disease, but SCN5A is the most prevalent one. Two consensus reports to define the diagnostic criteria, risk stratification, and management of patients have been published in the last few years. This brief review focuses on the recent clinical diagnosis, genetic basis, and advances in pharmacological treatment of Brugada syndrome.     

Brugada综合征相关基因SCN5A新突变位点的检测

目的 研究中国人Brugada综合征相关基因SCN5A突变情况。方法 利用多聚酶链反应及DNA测序对1个Brugada综合征家系SCN5A基因的全部28个外显子进行基因检测。结果 在国内外已知突变点均无突变，发现1个新的错义突变位点(A5471G)，其相应的氨基酸改变为N1774S。结论 在中国人Brugada综合征患者的SCN5A基因上发现1个新的突变位点。     

Brugada electrocardiographic pattern induced by fever

Brugada syndrome is a major cause of sudden death in young adults.Fever has been described to induce a Brugada-type electrocardiogram in asymptomatic patients with a negative family history,to disclose Brugada syndrome and to increase the risk of death and induce T wave alternans in patients with diagnosed Brugada syndrome.Risk stratification is challenging and demands a careful evaluation.Here we present 2 case reports and review the literature.     

T Wave Alternans Does not Assess Arrhythmic Risk in Patients with Brugada Syndrome

Background: Brugada syndrome is associated with a risk for sudden death, but the arrhythmic risk in an individual Brugada syndrome patient is difficult to predict. Pathologic changes in the early repolarization phase of the ventricular action potential probably constitute part of the arrhythmogenic substrate in Brugada syndrome. Microvolt T wave alternans (TWA) assesses dynamic beat‐to‐beat changes in repolarization and has been suggested as a marker for repolarization‐related sudden death. We therefore tested whether TWA is an indicator for arrhythmias in Brugada syndrome with a focus on right precordial ECG leads. Methods: We assessed TWA in nine symptomatic, inducible patients with established Brugada syndrome and in seven healthy controls. TWA was assessed at rest and during exercise using both standard methods and an algorithm that assesses TWA in the early ST segment and the right precordial leads. Results : None of the Brugada patients developed TWA in this study irrespective of analysis at rest or during exercise, neither using standard methods nor when the early ST segment was included in the analysis. When the early ST segment was included in the analysis, nonsustained TWA was found in three out of seven, and sustained TWA in one control. Conclusion: T wave alternans is not an appropriate test to detect arrhythmic risk in patients with Brugada syndrome.     

七例Brugada综合征患者SCN5A基因突变检测

目的 对7例Brugada综合征患者进行SCN5A基因突变检测,分析其分子遗传学特征. 方法 提取7例Brugada综合征患者外周血DNA样本,设计41对引物进行多聚核苷酸聚合酶链式反应,扩增SCN5A基因28对外显子,并采用双脱氧链终止法进行直接测序. 结果 SCN5A基因外显子部分未发现新的突变位点. 结论 Brugada综合征可能存在除SCN5A基因之外的其他相关基因突变.     

Double SCN5A mutation underlying asymptomatic Brugada syndrome

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify risk markers in patients with Brugada syndrome. BACKGROUND: Patients with Brugada syndrome who experience syncope or aborted sudden death are at high risk for recurrent lethal arrhythmias. The prognosis and therapeutic approaches in asymptomatic individuals with a Brugada-type ECG (asymptomatic Brugada syndrome) are controversial. METHODS: We genetically screened 30 asymptomatic probands (29 men and 1 woman; mean age 47.1 years) exhibiting a spontaneous Brugada-type ECG. Family members of patients with Brugada syndrome were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 30 patients (96.7%) remained symptom-free for at least 3 years. One patient (case 1) with a family history of sudden death died suddenly during sleep. Ventricular fibrillation was induced by programmed electrical stimulation in 14 of 18 subjects (78%), but none of these 18 subjects developed spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. Genetic screening failed to identify SCN5A mutations in most cases but demonstrated a novel double missense mutation (K1527R and A1569P) located on the same allele in another asymptomatic subject (case 2). Heterologously expressed mutant Na channels exhibited a negative shift of steady-state inactivation (9.2 mV) and enhanced slow inactivation, suggesting this individual harbors a subclinical channel dysfunction compatible with symptomatic Brugada syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic individuals with a Brugada-type ECG generally have a better prognosis than their symptomatic counterparts, but a subgroup of these individuals may have a poor prognosis. Severe Na channel dysfunction as a result of SCN5A mutations may not be sufficient to cause symptoms or arrhythmias in patients with Brugada syndrome, suggesting unknown factors or modifier genes influence arrhythmogenesis.     

Brugada Phenocopy: New Terminology and Proposed Classification

Brugada syndrome is a channelopathy characterized on ECG by coved ST‐segment elevation (≥2 mm) in the right precordial leads and is associated with an increased risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The term Brugada phenocopy is proposed to describe conditions that induce Brugada‐like ECG manifestations in patients without true Brugada syndrome. An extensive review of the literature identified case reports that were classified according to their suspected etiological mechanism. Future directions to learn more about these intriguing cases is discussed.     

Risk stratification of individuals with the Brugada electrocardiogram: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES: We performed a meta-analysis of prognostic studies of patients with a Brugada ECG to assess predictors of events. BACKGROUND: The Brugada syndrome is an increasingly recognized cause of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation; however, there is wide variation in the prognosis of patients with the Brugada ECG. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrieved 30 prospective studies of patients with the Brugada ECG, accumulating data on 1,545 patients. Summary estimates of the relative risk (RR) of events (sudden cardiac death [SCD], syncope, or internal defibrillator shock) for a variety of potential predictors were made using a random-effects model. The overall event rate at an average of 32 months follow-up was 10.0% (95% CI 8.5%, 11.5%). The RR of an event was increased (P < 0.001) among patients with a history of syncope or SCD (RR 3.24 [95% CI 2.13, 4.93]), men compared with women (RR 3.47 [95% CI 1.58, 7.63]), and patients with a spontaneous compared with sodium-channel blocker induced Type I Brugada ECG (RR 4.65 [95% CI 2.25, 9.58]). The RR of events was not significantly increased in patients with a family history of SCD (P = 0.97) or a mutation of the SCN5A gene (P = 0.18). The RR of events was also not significantly increased in patients inducible compared with noninducible by electrophysiologic study (EPS) (RR 1.88 [95% CI 0.62, 5.73], P = 0.27); however, there was significant heterogeneity of the studies included. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a history of syncope or SCD, the presence of a spontaneous Type I Brugada ECG, and male gender predict a more malignant natural history. Our findings do not support the use of a family history of SCD, the presence of an SCN5A gene mutation, or EPS to guide the management of patients with a Brugada ECG.     

An Unusual Case of Brugada Syndrome in a 10-year-old Child with Fevers

Brugada syndrome is an arrhythmogenic disease characterized by a pattern of ST segment elevation in the right precordial leads on an electrocardiogram with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. It is primarily reported in adults with limited data about the prevalence, prognosis, and long-term management in children. We describe a 10-year-old boy with a family history of sudden cardiac death, who had near syncope associated with a febrile illness. A screening electrocardiogram revealed ST segment elevation in the right precordial leads consistent with Type-1 Brugada syndrome. An electrocardiogram after recovery from his illness showed Type-2 “saddle-back” ST segment changes. An echocardiogram and a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed a normal heart without myocardial fibrofatty infiltration, scar, or ischemia. A tilt-table test was negative. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement remains the only effective treatment for patients with symptomatic Brugada syndrome; however, risk stratification of asymptomatic patients continues to remain a challenge. Although some investigators have reported the use of electrophysiological studies for distinguishing between high and low risk patients with Brugada syndrome, there are no precise predictors of risk for sudden cardiac death in pediatric patients. After careful discussion, this patient was considered intermediate to high risk for sudden cardiac death and had successful implantation of a transvenous defibrillator. Although Brugada syndrome is a rare diagnosis in the pediatric population, such patients should be referred for further evaluation and management.     

Clinical characteristics and risk stratification in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with brugada syndrome: multicenter study in Japan

Background: Neither the clinical characteristics nor risk stratification in Brugada syndrome have been clearly determined. We compared the clinical and ECG characteristics of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome to identify new markers for high-risk patients.
Methods: A total of 188 consecutive individuals with Brugada syndrome (mean age 53 ± 14 years, 178 males) were enrolled in the Japan Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation Study (J-IVFS). Clinical and ECG characteristics were evaluated in three groups of patients: Ventricular fibrillation (VF) group: patients with documented VF (N = 33); Syncope (Sy) group: patients with syncope without documented VF (N = 57); and asymptomatic (As) group: subjects without symptoms (N = 98). Their prognostic parameters were evaluated over a 3-year follow-up period.
Results: (1) Clinical characteristics: incidence of past history of atrial fibrillation (AF) was significantly higher in the VF and Sy groups than in the AS group (P = 0.04). (2) On 12-lead ECG, r-J interval in lead V2 and QRS duration in lead V6 were longest in the VF group (P = 0.001, 0.002, respectively). (3) Clinical follow-up: during a mean follow-up period of 37 ± 16 months, incidences of cardiac events (sudden death and/or VF) were higher in the symptomatic (VF/Sy) groups than in the As group (P < 0.0001). The r-J interval in lead V2 ≥ 90 ms and QRS duration in lead V6 ≥ 90 ms were found to be possible predictors of recurrence of cardiac events in symptomatic patients.
Conclusions: Prolonged QRS duration in precordial leads was prominent in symptomatic patients. This ECG marker may be useful for distinguishing high- from low-risk patients with Brugada syndrome.     

Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with the Brugada syndrome

We investigated breathing patterns and the occurrence of arrhythmias and ST-segment changes during sleep in patients with Brugada syndrome. Patients with Brugada syndrome are more likely to die from ventricular arrhythmias during sleep. ST-segment changes have been correlated with risk of sudden cardiac death. Whether sleep disturbances may contribute to arrhythmogenesis is unknown. Patients with Brugada syndrome underwent overnight polysomnography with simultaneous 12-lead electrocardiographic recording. A control group matched by age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) also underwent polysomnography. Twenty patients were included (50 ± 15 years old, 75% men). Despite their normal BMI (24.7 ± 2.7 kg/m(2)), 45% had sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), with a mean apnea-hypopnea index of 17.2 ± 14 events/hour. In patients with a high risk of arrhythmias, 5 (63%) had SDB. In the control group, 27% had SDB. Atrial or ventricular arrhythmias were not observed. Spontaneous ST-segment changes occurred in 2 patients over 45 different time points. Most ST-segment changes were observed during rapid eye movement sleep (31%) or within 1 minute of arousals (44%). Regarding respiratory events, 25 (56%) of ST-segment changes were related to occurrence of apnea or hypopnea. In conclusion, patients with Brugada syndrome have a high prevalence of SDB even in the setting of normal BMI. The higher incidence of nocturnal death in patients with Brugada syndrome may be conceivably related to co-morbid SDB. Moreover, autonomic instability encountered in rapid eye movement sleep and arousals could potentiate the risk of arrhythmias.     

First clinical manifestation of Brugada syndrome during pregnancy

The role of hormonal changes during pregnancy in Brugada syndrome is unknown. Only rare case reports of Brugada syndrome during pregnancy have been published. In this article, we describe a patient with first clinical manifestation of Brugada syndrome during pregnancy. The definitive diagnosis could only be achieved by drug challenge with ajmaline after childbirth because the spontaneous typical Brugada-like pattern was absent. Elevated hormone levels during pregnancy may increase the risk for arrhythmias in particular cases.