Background and aims Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) represents diverse cardiac manifestation, but diastolic dysfunction has been reported infrequently. This study is aimed to investigate the left ventricular diastolic function and the factors related in SLE patients compared with healthy controls.

Methods Thirty consecutive female SLE patients without evidence of cardiac disease were underwent standard transthoracic echocardiography, and were compared with 30 age-matched healthy female controls. Patient characteristics, organ damage and laboratory data were retrieved by medical chart review.

Results In SLE patients, indexes of LV diastolic function differed from control group, with reduced early diastolic filling velocity (E), as well as prolongation of the time taken from the maximum E point to baseline, reduced ratio of early to late diastolic flow velocity (E/A), prolonged ratio of E to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E’) (E/E’). However, the differences did not show statistical significance. Anti-Ro antibody positivity was observed in 43% of SLE patients, and it was correlated with higher E/A ratio significantly (1.3±0.4 vs 1.0±0.2, p=0.03). In addition, the SLE patients with hematologic or renal involvement showed more enlarged size of left atrium significantly compared to the patients without any involvement (36±4.3 vs 31±9.2, p=0.01).

Conclusions Although not statistically significant, there was a trend which suggested that patients with SLE have subclinical impaired diastolic function compared with the healthy control. Presence of anti-Ro antibody and systemic organ involvement was related with the diastolic dysfunction markers.