Apelin and Atrial Fibrillation: The Role in the Arrhythmia Recurrence Prognosis.

Agata Salska,Marzenna Zielinska,Witold Salski,Krzysztof Chizynski,Michał Dziuba

doi:10.1155/2018/5285392

Abstract

Apelin is a novel peptide of wide expression and multiple biological functions including the crucial role in cardiovascular homeostasis. The apelin role in the pathophysiology of heart rhythm disorders is considered, although the reports are scarce so far. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential utility of apelin as a marker of arrhythmia recurrence after direct-current cardioversion (DC). The prospective, observational study included 60 patients (aged 41–86; 30% female) with nonvalvular, persistent atrial fibrillation from the group of 204 consecutive patients scheduled for DC during the 12-month period (from May 2010 to May 2011) in the Cardiology Clinic Medical University of Lodz, Poland. The study group was divided into SCD (successful DC), 45 (75%) patients, and NDC (nonsuccessful DC), 15 (25%) patients. Within the SCD group, the subgroups were distinguished depending on the time sinus rhythm maintenance after DC: up to 7 days (SDC-7), 11 patients; 7 to 30 days (SDC-30), 12 patients; over 90 days (SDC-90), 22 patients. Patients were evaluated during the hospitalization and within the 3-month follow-up period. The apelin level was determined within the plasma samples collected at the admission, using the commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) Kit for apelin-36. It was found that the median value of initial apelin in the subset of patients from groups NDC + SDC-7 + SDC-30 is significantly higher than from group SDC-90 (p = 0.0463); there was no relationship between NDC and SCD overall. Neither of the compared subgroup pairs revealed statistically significant correlation between the proBNP concentration and the DC effectiveness in our population. In conclusion, in our study, proBNP was not a marker of arrhythmia recurrence whereas higher apelin concentration at the admission indicated patients in whom DC was not effective or they had an arrhythmia recurrence within a month-period observation.

Highlights

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent sustained cardiac arrhythmia in adults, which affects over 1% of the general population and becomes an important cause of the mortality and life quality deterioration [1, 2]
The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential impact of initial apelin-36 on the risk of AF recurrence after direct-current cardioversion (DC)
Within the SCD group, the subgroups were distinguished depending on the time sinus rhythm maintenance after successful DC: up to 7 days (SDC-7); 7 to 30 days (SDC-30); over 90 days (SDC90)

Summary

Introduction

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent sustained cardiac arrhythmia in adults, which affects over 1% of the general population and becomes an important cause of the mortality and life quality deterioration [1, 2]. It causes significant morbidity and premature mortality, with the risk of death doubled, regardless of the other factors [3]. There is a substantial risk of arrhythmia recurrence after cardioversion It is estimated as 10% per year in patients after the first diagnosed AF incident. The most important AF-recurrence risk factors include age, AF duration before the cardioversion, the number of previous relapses, the left atrium enlargement or dysfunction, coronary artery disease, or the mitral valve defect [1]

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