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Updated: Aug 2, 2025
Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
Identification and validation of key genes associated with atrial fibrillation in the elderly
Chuanbin Liu1, Jing Zeng2, Jin Wu3
1Western Medical Branch of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Insights
Aging significantly increases atrial fibrillation (AF) risk. This study identified nine key genes, including six novel ones, potentially driving AF in older adults, offering new therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Genomics
- Aging Research
Background:
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent arrhythmia linked to stroke, heart failure, and mortality.
- Aging is a major risk factor for AF, but underlying mechanisms remain elusive.
- Understanding aging's role in AF is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key genes and pathways associated with aging-related atrial fibrillation.
- To uncover novel molecular mechanisms contributing to AF pathophysiology in the elderly.
- To discover potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for aging-related AF.
Main Methods:
- Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) on atrial myocardium gene expression data from AF and sinus rhythm patients.
- Identification of hub genes within significant co-expression modules.
- Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses.
Main Results:
- WGCNA identified critical 'green' and 'pink' modules associated with AF.
- Nine hub genes (PTGDS, COLQ, ASTN2, VASH1, RCAN1, AMIGO2, RBP1, MFAP4, ALDH1A1) were implicated in aging-related AF.
- The 'green' module linked to calcium, cAMP, and PPAR signaling; the 'pink' module to TGF-β signaling and fibrosis.
Conclusions:
- Six novel genes were identified as potentially crucial in aging-related AF.
- This research offers new insights into AF pathogenesis influenced by aging.
- Identified genes represent potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AF.
Background:
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart failure (HF), contributing to a higher mortality rate. Increasing age is a major risk factor for AF; however, the mechanisms of how aging contributes to the occurrence and progression of AF remain unclear. This study conducted weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify key modules and hub genes and determine their potential associations with aging-related AF.
Materials And Methods:
WGCNA was performed using the AF dataset GSE2240 obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus, which contained data from atrial myocardium in cardiac patients with permanent AF or sinus rhythm (SR). Hub genes were identified in clinical samples. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were also performed.
Results:
Green and pink were the most critical modules associated with AF, from which nine hub genes, PTGDS, COLQ, ASTN2, VASH1, RCAN1, AMIGO2, RBP1, MFAP4, and ALDH1A1, were hypothesized to play key roles in the AF pathophysiology in elderly and seven of them have high diagnostic value. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the green module was associated with the calcium, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling pathways, and the pink module may be associated with the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway in myocardial fibrosis.
Conclusion:
We identified nine genes that may play crucial roles in the pathophysiological mechanism of aging-related AF, among which six genes were associated with AF for the first time. This study provided novel insights into the impact of aging on the occurrence and progression of AF, and identified biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for AF.
