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Background The efficacy of beta-blockers for treatment of patients with long QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3) has been repeatedly questioned, and it has been suggested that they might be detrimental for this genetic subgroup of patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS). The disquieting consequence has been that cardiologists confronted with LQT3 patients often do not even attempt pharmacologic therapy and implant cardioverter-defibrillators as first-choice treatment. However, the most recent clinical data indicate high efficacy of beta-blocker therapy in LQT3 patients. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the antiarrhythmic efficacy of beta-blockers in an established experimental model for LQT3. Methods After phenotypic validation of 65 ∆KPQ- SCN5A knock-in transgenic (TG) mice compared to 32 wild-type (WT) mice, we tested the effect of the arrhythmogenic cholinergic muscarinic agonist carbachol in 19 WT and 39 TG anesthetized mice, with and without pretreatment with propranolol given intraperitoneally. Results At the same heart rates, TG mice had a markedly longer QT interval than WT mice. Whereas carbachol had minor arrhythmic effects in the WT mice, it produced ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) in 55% of 20 TG mice. By contrast, in none of 19 TG mice pretreated with propranolol did VT/VF occur after carbachol injection. Conclusion These experimental data indicate that, contrary to previous reports, beta-blockade effectively prevents VT/VF in a validated LQT3 model. Together with the most recent clinical data, these findings indicate that there is no reason for not initiating protective therapy with beta-blockers in LQT3 patients.

Background Genetic screening of long QT syndrome (LQTS) fails to identify disease-causing mutations in about 30% of patients. So far, molecular screening has focused mainly on coding sequence mutations or on substitutions at canonical splice sites. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility that intronic variants not at canonical splice sites might affect splicing regulatory elements, lead to aberrant transcripts, and cause LQTS. Method Molecular screening was performed through DHPLC and sequence analysis. The role of the intronic mutation identified was assessed with a hybrid minigene splicing assay. Results A three-generation LQTS family was investigated. Molecular screening failed to identify an obvious disease-causing mutation in the coding sequences of the major LQTS genes but revealed an intronic A-to-G substitution in KCNH2 (IVS9-28A/G) cosegregating with the clinical phenotype in family members. In vitro analysis proved that the mutation disrupts the acceptor splice site definition by affecting the branch point (BP) sequence and promoting intron retention. We further demonstrated a tight functional relationship between the BP and the polypyrimidine tract, whose weakness is responsible for the pathological effect of the IVS9-28A/G mutation. Conclusions We identified a novel BP mutation in KCNH2 that disrupts the intron 9 acceptor splice site definition and causes LQT2. The present finding demonstrates that intronic mutations affecting pre-mRNA processing may contribute to the failure of traditional molecular screening in identifying disease-causing mutations in LQTS subjects and offers a rationale strategy for the reduction of genotype-negative cases.

in none of 34 controls. None of these mutations was found in the 200 normal alleles. Mutations in SCN5A were found in 8/16 (50%) SIDS cases, in KCNH2 in 6/16 (37%) cases and in KCNQ1 in 2/16 (13%) cases. The conclusions of this still ongoing study have to take into account the fact that 35-40% of patients unquestionably affected by LQTS still escape identification of the responsible mutation. Thus, the present findings strongly suggest that LQTS accounts for 12-15% of SIDS victims. As sudden death due to LQTS can be effectively prevented, early identification and proper therapy of the affected infants becomes imperative. This requires the performance of an ECG during the first month of life.