Prospective assessment of cytokine IL-15 activity in patients with refractory atrial fibrillation episodes.
OBJECTIVE
Inflammatory state is considered a risk factor of atrial fibrillation (AF) occurrence. The aim of this study was a prospective evaluation of the inflammation parameters in patients with different forms of AF without structural heart disease.


RESULTS
One hundred fifty-eight patients with paroxysmal/persistent AF (87; 55.1% men, mean age 65.8±9.6 years) without structural heart disease were enrolled in the study. Inflammatory parameters: WBC, ESR, hs-CRP, IL-6, IL-15 and TNF-alpha were measured at baseline and after one year follow-up. Despite frequent AF episodes median values of WBC, ESR and C-reactive protein at baseline and after follow up were within normal ranges. There were no significant differences between WBC, ESR and hs-CRP regarding AF types. In patients who developed permanent AF form (n=14) hs-CRP concentrations were higher at baseline: 0.35 (IQR1: 0.09 IQR: 0.61) vs 0.15 (IQR1: 0.07 IQR: 0.29), p<0.01. Nevertheless, after one year's observation these differences were not significant. Among all cytokines were studied only IL-15 was significantly correlated with the number of AF episodes (r=0.26), mean (IQ1-IQ3): 10 (3-30) vs 60 (50-100), p=0.00681.


CONCLUSIONS
Basic inflammatory markers were not changed in patients with refractory atrial fibrillation episodes in prospective one year's observation. Only cytokine IL-15 was correlated to numbers of AF episodes. It's potential role as a marker of arrhythmia deserves further evaluation.
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: anaborowie@hotmail.com.
Anna
A
Borowiec
National Institute of Rheumatology, Poland. Electronic address: ewa.kontny@wp.pl.
Ewa
E
Kontny
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: esmolis@ikard.pl.
Edyta
E
Smolis-Bąk
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: ikowalik@ikard.pl.
Ilona
I
Kowalik
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: emajos@ikard.pl.
Ewa
E
Majos
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: lzalucka@ikard.pl.
Laura
L
Załucka
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: kplazinski@ikard.pl.
Krzysztof
K
Plaziński
National Institute of Rheumatology, Poland. Electronic address: wlodzimierz.maslinski@ir.ids.pl.
Włodzimierz
W
Maśliński
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: hszwed@ikard.pl.
Hanna
H
Szwed
National Institute of Cardiology, Poland. Electronic address: rdabrowski@ikard.pl.
Rafal
R
Dabrowski
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D019409:Interleukin-15; D015850:Interleukin-6; C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
Atrial fibrillation; Inflammation; Inflammatory markers; Interleukins