title: Cardiac Fibrosis in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.
abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with structural, electrical, and contractile remodeling of the atria. Development and progression of atrial fibrosis is the hallmark of structural remodeling in AF and is considered the substrate for AF perpetuation. In contrast, experimental and clinical data on the effect of ventricular fibrotic processes in the pathogenesis of AF and its complications are controversial. Ventricular fibrosis seems to contribute to abnormalities in cardiac relaxation and contractility and to the development of heart failure, a common finding in AF. Given that AF and heart failure frequently coexist and that both conditions affect patient prognosis, a better understanding of the mutual effect of fibrosis in AF and heart failure is of particular interest. In this review paper, we provide an overview of the general mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis in AF, differences between fibrotic processes in atria and ventricles, and the clinical and prognostic significance of cardiac fibrosis in AF.
authors: University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, City Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus.
authors: Mikhail S
authors: MS
authors: Dzeshka
authors: University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, City Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Thrombosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors: Gregory Y H
authors: GY
authors: Lip
authors: Grodno State Medical University, Grodno, Belarus.
authors: Viktor
authors: V
authors: Snezhitskiy
authors: University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, City Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Electronic address: e.shantsila@bham.ac.uk.
authors: Eduard
authors: E
authors: Shantsila
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: cardiac; extracellular matrix; heart failure; myocytes; myofibroblasts