title: Increased plasma corin levels in patients with atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  NPPA mutations/polymorphisms were associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), and plasma proatrial natriuretic peptide (proANP) concentrations were increased in AF patients. Corin, as a transmembrane protease that processes proANP in the heart, may play a potential role in AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test whether corin concentrations are altered in AF patients, we used ELISA to measure corin and N-terminal proANP (NT-proANP) concentrations in plasma samples from control (n=127) and AF patients (n=141), including paroxysmal AF (PAF, n=83) and persistent AF (PeAF, n=58).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with AF, plasma corin concentrations were 1209±510pg/ml, which were significantly higher than in the controls (973±528pg/ml, P<0.001). The increased plasma corin concentrations were found in both male and female patients. Plasma NT-proANP concentrations in AF patients were 3.1±2.42nmol/l, which were higher than in the controls (1.77±1.04nmol/l, P<0.001). Gender (P=0.003), weight (P=0.016) and PR interval (P=0.028) were independent predictors of plasma corin concentrations in AF patients. A positive correlation was found between corin concentrations and left atrial diameter/PR interval in AF patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High plasma corin concentrations in AF patients suggest that corin may play an important role in the pathology of AF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Feifei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Yunlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Yutao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Dalian, No. 890, Huanghe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Lianjun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinic Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinic Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Shijun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China. Electronic address: jiangyn64510@yahoo.com.cn.
authors.forename: Yinong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 193, Lianhe Road, Shahekou District, 116000 Dalian, China. Electronic address: yyzheart@126.com.
authors.forename: Yanzong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C099254:N-terminal proatrial natriuretic peptide; D011498:Protein Precursors; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; C119812:CORIN protein, human; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Atrial natriuretic peptide; Corin; Heart failure; Proatrial natriuretic peptide