RESUMO
PURPOSE: To examine heart disease in the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the association of cardiac abnormalities with anticardiolipin antibodies (ACL). METHODS: Sixteen patients with active SLE disease (group I) were compared with 14 patients without disease activity (group II). A control group of 10 healthy subjects were also evaluated. Patients were subjected to cardiovascular history and physical examination as well as electrocardiogram, thoracic x-ray, two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiogram, and ACL serum determination (ELISA). RESULTS: Myocardial disease characterized by tachycardia, heart failure or echocardiographic abnormalities was shown by 75% of patients in the group I. It was associated with ACL positive in 27.2% of these patients. Pericardial and valvular involvement were observed in 25% of patients in group I. Group II showed myocardial involvement in 21.4% of patients without positive ACL. CONCLUSION: Myocardial disease was the most frequent heart involvement in active SLE, and we did not found any association between SLE heart disease and positive anticardiolipin antibodies.
