Correlation between atrial fibrillation, serum amyloid protein A and             other inflammatory cytokines.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) may occur and persist due to atrial remodeling             exacerbated by inflammation. However, whether inflammatory cytokines, such as             serum amyloid protein A (SAA), are elevated in patients with atrial arrhythmias             remains unclear. In a case-control study design, serum levels of inflammatory             cytokines SAA, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP)             were compared between 122 patients with AF and 63 non-AF controls. Of 122 AF patients,             48 had lone AF and 74 organic AF; 65 had paroxysmal AF, 36 persistent AF and 21             permanent AF. In unadjusted analyses, the levels of SAA, hsCRP, TNF-αP, IL-1 and             IL-6 were significantly higher in AF patients compared to control patients (P<0.01).             Patients with permanent and persistent AF had higher serum levels of inflammatory             cytokines than those with paroxysmal AF; all AF patients had higher serum levels             than controls (P<0.05). Using a multivariate logistic regression analysis,             we found that SAA (OR 3.11; 95% CI, 1.12-6.05), hsCRP (OR 2.53; 95% CI, 1.17-4.38),             TNF-α (OR 1.80; 95% CI, 1.03-3.20) and IL-6 (OR 1.21; 95% CI, 0.68-2.87) were             correlated with AF (P<0.05). SAA and related inflammatory cytokines are elevated             in AF patients. This study is the first to document elevated SAA in AF patients.             Although the cause of elevated SAA levels in AF patients remains unknown, elevated             SAA may reflect an inflammatory state that promotes the occurrence and persistence             of AF.
Beijing Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, PR China. chentao100850@126.com
Tao
T
Cheng
Xiao-Fei
XF
Wang
Yun-Tian
YT
Hou
Li
L
Zhang
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein