Radiofrequency catheter ablation and nerve growth factor concentration in humans.
BACKGROUND
In animal models, expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) is increased after necrotic myocardial injury. Whether radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation increases NGF expression in humans is unclear.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine NGF concentrations in the aorta, coronary sinus, and peripheral veins before and after RF ablation in patients.


METHODS
We sampled blood from aorta and either great cardiac vein (group 1, N = 18) or proximal (group 2, N = 20) coronary sinus before and after RF ablation. In group 3 (N = 21), peripheral venous blood was sampled before and after RF ablation and then up to postoperative day 7. In group 4 (N = 10), we sampled peripheral venous blood during diagnostic electrophysiologic study. The NGF concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Transcardiac NGF concentration was the difference in NGF concentrations between coronary sinus and aorta.


RESULTS
There was no change in transcardiac NGF concentrations in groups 1 and 2. In group 3, the NGF level did not change significantly from before the procedure (17.10 +/- 15.80 ng/mL) to immediately after the procedure (14.46 +/- 10.36 ng/mL). However, NGF levels increased significantly to 31.24 +/- 19.82 ng/mL (N = 21, P <.0001) on postoperative day 1, 26.23 +/- 16.89 ng/mL (N = 20, P <.001) on postoperative day 2, and 22.01 +/- 11.35 ng/mL (N = 16, P = .003) on postoperative day 3. NGF concentrations did not change significantly in group 4.


CONCLUSIONS
RF ablation did not result in a detectable increase of transcardiac NGF concentration immediately after the procedure. However, the systemic NGF concentration increased significantly on postoperative days 1 to 3, suggesting that RF ablation resulted in increased NGF expression.
Kangavari
Simon
S
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90048, USA.
Oh
Yong-Seog
YS
Zhou
Shengmei
S
Youn
Ho-Joong
HJ
Lee
Man-Young
MY
Jung
Wook-Sung
WS
Rho
Tae-Ho
TH
Hong
Soon-Jo
SJ
Kar
Saibal
S
Kerwin
Walter F
WF
Swerdlow
Charles D
CD
Gang
Eli S
ES
Gallik
Donna M
DM
Goodman
Jeffrey S
JS
Chen
Yii-Der Ida
YD
Chen
Peng-Sheng
PS
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence
D015415:Biomarkers; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor