Role of the Purkinje system in heritable arrhythmias

Much has been written about arrhythmias in structurally normal hearts. In this review, we focus on rapid ventricular arrhythmias that occur in hearts having a pathogenic genetic variant that has been found in families in which arrhythmias occur. We discuss these mutations in terms of their effect on cardiac cell electrical function and initiation of arrhythmias. We also focus on Purkinje cells, their anatomic networks, and their molecular signatures as the sites of origin of arrhythmias. We discuss therapeutic options for treatment of these potentially life-threatening arrhythmias. Although all Purkinje-based arrhythmias are not included (eg, conduction block rhythms), syndromes discussed include idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, long QT syndrome, Andersen-Tawil syndrome, and Brugada syndrome. Much has been written about arrhythmias in structurally normal hearts. In this review, we focus on rapid ventricular arrhythmias that occur in hearts having a pathogenic genetic variant that has been found in families in which arrhythmias occur. We discuss these mutations in terms of their effect on cardiac cell electrical function and initiation of arrhythmias. We also focus on Purkinje cells, their anatomic networks, and their molecular signatures as the sites of origin of arrhythmias. We discuss therapeutic options for treatment of these potentially life-threatening arrhythmias. Although all Purkinje-based arrhythmias are not included (eg, conduction block rhythms), syndromes discussed include idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, long QT syndrome, Andersen-Tawil syndrome, and Brugada syndrome.