Abnormal Cardiac Biomarkers in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and No Prior Heart Disease: The Role of Endomyocardial Biopsy

Tselios, et al reported in their recent study that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who receive prolonged antimalarial (AM) treatment are at increased risk for elevated cardiac biomarkers [brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (HS-cTnI)], particularly when persistently elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) is present1 Among a well-characterized SLE cohort of 179 patients, the authors found that 16 (all without cardiac disease, renal failure, or pulmonary arterial hypertension) presented an increase of at least 1 cardiac biomarker.