Circulating homocysteine levels in patients with radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the potential association between homocysteine levels and cardiovascular events or atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence following radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in patients with AF.


RESULTS
Blood samples were obtained prior to the RFCA procedure. Levels of homocysteine and carboxy-terminal telopeptide of collagen type I (CITP), a collagen type I degradation marker, were measured in 96 patients receiving RFCA; 62 paroxysmal or persistent AF patients and 34 paroxysmal supra-ventricular tachycardia patients. Patients were followed up for 2.1 +/- 1.5 years. Plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with persistent AF (P < 0.05) compared with levels in paroxysmal AF and control patients. Homocysteine levels also positively correlated with left atrial dimension (LAD) (P < 0.01) and CITP levels (P < 0.001). While no significant correlation was found between basal homocysteine levels and recurrent AF after RFCA in AF patients, patients in the high homocysteine group exhibited a significantly higher rate of cardiovascular events without AF recurrence compared with those in the low homocysteine group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
High homocysteine levels are associated with the presence of persistent AF, which is accompanied by increased CITP levels and LAD. Also confirmed is the role of homocysteine as a risk factor for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular events after RFCA in AF patients. Measurement of homocysteine level may provide useful information for the managing cardiovascular risk in patients with AF.
Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan. mshimano@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Masayuki
M
Shimano
Yasuya
Y
Inden
Yukiomi
Y
Tsuji
Hiromi
H
Kamiya
Tomohiro
T
Uchikawa
Rei
R
Shibata
Toyoaki
T
Murohara
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine