Effect of cardiac rhythm on serum levels of the inflammatory mediators; Interleukin-6 and C-Reactive Protein in patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease

Abstract Background Rheumatic fever has a marked tendency to recur leading to high risk of chronic heart lesions or worsening lesions in patients with previous rheumatic heart disease. For secondary prevention of RF, long acting penicillin can be used. Some rheumatic heart disease patients suffer from atrial fibrillation. Cardiac rhythm may affect the response of the body to the long acting penicillin, so it would be helpful to study the effect of cardiac rhythm on serum levels of inflammatory mediators in patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease. Objectives Our study is a prospective cross-sectional controlled study that aims to study the effect of cardiac rhythm on serum levels of the inflammatory mediators; C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 in patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease. Methods The study included 70 rheumatic heart disease patients on regular long acting penicillin. Patients were divided into to 2 groups: Group A; 56 patients with rheumatic heart disease who have sinus rhythm, and Group B; 14 patients with rheumatic heart disease who have atrial fibrillation (AF) and Group C; control group of 10 healthy individuals. Results There was no significant difference between sinus patients and AF patients in CRP and IL-6 levels (p = 0.3050 and 0.6758, respectively). Also, there was no significant difference between 15, 21 and 30 days regimens of penicillin in CRP and IL-6 levels (p = 0.9467and 0.0795, respectively). IL6 values were significantly correlated with CRP values (r = 0.5435, p < 0.0001). There was a significant difference in CRP and IL-6 levels between compliant and non-compliant patients (p = 0.0053 and 0.0308). Conclusion Our study results disprove that cardiac rhythm has an effect on the serum levels of the inflammatory mediators C-Reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 in chronic rheumatic heart disease. Our study also disproves the preference of any regimen of long acting penicillin (15 days, 21 days and 30 days) over each other for secondary prevention of chronic rheumatic heart disease. Our study results emphasized that chronic rheumatic heart disease is an inflammatory process mediated with some mediators as CRP and IL-6 that are strongly correlated with each other.