title: Plasma YKL-40 is elevated in patients with recurrent atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study plasma YKL-40 in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation and to assess the predictive role of plasma YKL-40 and its changes after restoration of sinus rhythm (SR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six patients (mean age 55 years, range 31-81) with paroxysmal/persistent AF were treated with RF catheter ablation; Holter monitoring for 14 days was performed before ablation and after 3 months. Recurrent symptomatic AF or atrial tachycardia >10 min was considered failure, and the patients were offered a second ablation session. YKL-40 was determined in plasma samples taken prior to ablation and at follow-up visits up to 12 months after ablation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a maximum of two ablations, 19 patients (41%) had SR without recurrence of AF after 12 months. The patients with no recurrence of AF had significantly lower baseline plasma levels of YKL-40 prior to ablation compared to patients with recurrence of AF (31 vs. 62 microg/l, P = 0.029). Plasma YKL-40 was not an independent predictor of recurrence of AF after ablation. No significant changes in plasma YKL-40 levels were seen from baseline to follow-up at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF treated with catheter ablation, high plasma YKL-40 before ablation is associated with recurrence of AF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory 2014, The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. Kristofferh@webspeed.dk
authors.forename: Kristoffer Mads
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Henningsen
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Steen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pehrson
authors.forename: Jesper Hastrup
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Svendsen
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D015415:Biomarkers; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D015415:Biomarkers; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins