Methods Patients The subjects of this study were 41 male asymptomatic patients with BS (age 27-66 years; mean age, 45±10 years). A Brugada-type ECG was defined as late r' wave (>0.2 mV) and ST segment elevation (>0.1 mV). 3 All of the subjects Circ J 2003; 67: 312 -316 Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is induced in some asymptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome (BS), but the prognostic value of programmed electrical stimulation (PES) in such patients is controversial. The clinical

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... of 41 asymptomatic BS patients, divided into 2 groups according to whether VF was induced by PES (inducible VF group: n=13, non-inducible VF group: n=28) were evaluated. ST levels in the right precordial leads were measured before and after administration of pilsicainide and the abnormal late potential (LP) was evaluated on the signal-averaged electrogram. The ST level at V2 at baseline in the inducible VF group was significantly higher than that in the non-inducible VF group (p<0.05). Pilsicainide induced significant ST segment elevation in both groups and the ST level after pilsicainide in the inducible VF group was higher than that in the non-inducible VF group (p<0.01). LP was more frequent in the inducible VF group than in the non-inducible VF group. The criterion of ST level >0.15 mV at baseline with pilsicainide-induced additional ST elevation >0.10 mV and positive LP showed high sensitivity (92%) and specificity (89%) for detection of PES-induced VF in asymptomatic BS patients. (Circ J 2003; 67: 312 -316)