%0 Journal Article
%T Response of High-Sensitive C-Reactive Protein to Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation and Its Relation with Rhythm Outcome
%A Jelena Kornej
%A Claudia Reinhardt
%A Jedrzej Kosiuk
%A Arash Arya
%A Gerhard Hindricks
%A Volker Adams
%A Daniela Husser
%A Andreas Bollmann
%J PLOS ONE
%D 2012
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0044165
%X Aims This study investigated the possible association between hs-CRP as well as hs-CRP changes and rhythm outcome after AF catheter ablation. Methods We studied 68 consecutive patients with AF undergoing catheter ablation. hs-CRP levels were measured using commercially available assays before and 6 months after catheter ablation. Serial 7-day Holter ECGs were used to detect AF recurrences. Results Early AF recurrence (ERAF, within one week) was observed in 38%, while late AF recurrence (LRAF, between 3 and 6 months) occurred in 18% of the patients. None of the baseline clinical or echocardiographic variables was predictive of ERAF or LRAF. Baseline hs-CRP measured 2.07¡À1.1 ¦Ìg/ml and was not associated with ERAF and LRAF. At 6 months, hs-CRP levels were comparable with baseline values (2.14¡À1.19 ¦Ìg/ml, p = 0.409) and were also not related with LRAF. However, patients with LRAF showed an hs-CRP increase from 2.03¡À0.61 to 2.62¡À1.52 ¦Ìg/ml (p = 0.028). Patients with an hs-CRP change in the upper tertile (>0.2 ¦Ìg/ml) had LRAF in 32% as opposed to 11% (p = 0.042) in patients in the lower (<£¿0.3 ¦Ìg/ml) or intermediate (£¿0.3¨C0.2 ¦Ìg/ml) tertile. Conclusions Changes in hs-CRP but not baseline hs-CRP are associated with rhythm outcome after AF catheter ablation. This finding points to a link between an inflammatory response and AF recurrence in this setting.
%U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0044165