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Inflammation response post-radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation: Implications for early atrial
Guangli Yin1,2, Lixia Yao3, Ling You4
1Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China. yinguangliygl@126.com.
Background:
Inflammation is associated with early recurrence after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and is linked to stroke in AF.
Aims:
The aim of this study is to investigate the time course of inflammatory biomarkers following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for AF and its relation to early AF recurrence.
Material And Methods:
Ninety patients who underwent successful RFA for AF were enrolled. Blood samples were collected from the median cubital vein preoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 to measure levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fibrinogen, creatine kinase isoenzyme (CKMB), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI). Follow-up evaluations of AF recurrence were conducted at weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 and months 2 and 3 postoperatively.
Results:
The hs-CRP levels significantly increased on postoperative days 2 and 3 compared to preoperative values, followed by a decline on days 7 and 14 (P <0.05). The fibrinogen level peaked between postoperative days 2 and 7 (P <0.05), and then declined by day 14. CKMB and cTnI levels peaked between postoperative days 1 and 3 (P <0.05). The escalation of hs-CRP following RFA was identified as an independent risk factor for early AF recurrence (OR, 2.948; 95% CI, 1.892-4.602; P = 0.004).
Conclusions:
The degree of inflammatory response following RFA serves as a predictive marker for early AF recurrence, and the significant inflammatory response and hypercoagulable state are evident within the first week post-RFA for AF, potentially explaining the heightened risk of early thromboembolic events.
