title: Radiofrequency catheter ablation and nerve growth factor concentration in humans.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kangavari
authors.forename: Yong-Seog
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Shengmei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ho-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Man-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wook-Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Tae-Ho
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rho
authors.forename: Soon-Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Saibal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: Walter F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Kerwin
authors.forename: Charles D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Swerdlow
authors.forename: Eli S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Gang
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gallik
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: Yii-Der Ida
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Peng-Sheng
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor