title: Response of high-sensitive C-reactive protein to catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation and its relation with rhythm outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the possible association between hs-CRP as well as hs-CRP changes and rhythm outcome after AF catheter ablation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 68 consecutive patients with AF undergoing catheter ablation. hs-CRP levels were measured using commercially available assays before and 6 months after catheter ablation. Serial 7-day Holter ECGs were used to detect AF recurrences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early AF recurrence (ERAF, within one week) was observed in 38%, while late AF recurrence (LRAF, between 3 and 6 months) occurred in 18% of the patients. None of the baseline clinical or echocardiographic variables was predictive of ERAF or LRAF. Baseline hs-CRP measured 2.07 ± 1.1 µg/ml and was not associated with ERAF and LRAF. At 6 months, hs-CRP levels were comparable with baseline values (2.14±1.19 µg/ml, p = 0.409) and were also not related with LRAF. However, patients with LRAF showed an hs-CRP increase from 2.03 ± 0.61 to 2.62 ± 1.52 µg/ml (p = 0.028). Patients with an hs-CRP change in the upper tertile (>0.2 µg/ml) had LRAF in 32% as opposed to 11% (p = 0.042) in patients in the lower (<-0.3 µg/ml) or intermediate (-0.3-0.2 µg/ml) tertile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in hs-CRP but not baseline hs-CRP are associated with rhythm outcome after AF catheter ablation. This finding points to a link between an inflammatory response and AF recurrence in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrophysiology, Heart Center, Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. jelena.kornej@gmx.de
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornej
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.forename: Jedrzej
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kosiuk
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arya
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hindricks
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Husser
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bollmann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016275:Atrial Function; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein