Efficacy of catheter ablation and surgical CryoMaze procedure in patients with long-lasting persistent atrial fibrillation and rheumatic heart disease: a randomized trial

Objectives: Atrial ﬁbrosis, a marker of atrial structural remodeling, plays a critical role in atrial ﬁbrillation (AF). α- Actinin-2 is associated with structural remodeling related to stretching. The transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad pathway plays an important role in atrial fibrosis. We investigated the effects of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway on α-actinin-2 in atrial fibrosis in patients with AF. Methods: Forty-one right atrial specimens obtained from patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) were divided into a chronic (c)AF group, i.e. RHD + cAF (n = 29), and a sinus rhythm group, i.e. RHD + sinus rhythm (n = 12). Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and sinus rhythm who underwent heart surgery served as controls (n = 10). Fibrosis was assessed by histological examination, and expression of α-actinin-2, TGF-β1 and Smad2/phosphorylated Smad2 (p-Smad2) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. In rat atrial fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1, the collagen content was measured using hydroxyproline detection, and α-actinin-2 and p-Smad2 were evaluated by semiquantitative reverse-transcription PCR and Western blotting. Results: The histology results revealed a significant increase in atrial fibrosis in AF patients. The collagen content, mRNA and protein expression levels of α-actinin-2 and the components of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway were significantly gradually increased in the CHD + sinus rhythm, RHD + sinus rhythm and RHD + cAF groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein levels of α-actinin-2 and TGF-β1 in RHD patients were positively correlated with the collagen volume fraction. A positive correlation between the expression of α-actinin-2 and TGF-β1 was also observed. In rat atrial fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1, the collagen content was greater than that in the control group (p < 0.05), and the expression levels of α- actinin-2 and p-Smad2 were also upregulated (p < 0.05). Conclusions: α-Actinin-2 expression was increased in the atrial tissues of patients with AF secondary to RHD. α-Actinin-2 was upregulated via the TGF-β1/Smad pathway in atrial fibroblasts, which suggests that it may be involved in TGF-β1/Smad pathway-induced atrial fibrosis in patients with AF.

Download Full-text

Clinical and Etiological Profile of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF): Analysis and implications

Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Science ◽

10.3126/jmcjms.v4i1.16379 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 5-12

Author(s):

Ram Narayan Mandal ◽

Ajay Kumar Mishra ◽

Elena Leonidovna Mandal

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Ischemic Heart Disease ◽

Dilated Cardiomyopathy ◽

Rheumatic Heart Disease ◽

Ischemic Heart ◽

Systemic Hypertension ◽

Clinical Hospital ◽

Medical College ◽

Rheumatic Heart

Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequently encountered cardiac arrhythmia which may be either symptomatic or asymptomatic. So, this study was conducted to know clinical presentation and to find out possible clinical and etiological profile of patients with AF.Material and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at Osh Regional Integrated Clinical Hospital, Osh Territorial City Clinical Hospital, The Kyrgyz Republic in collaboration with Janaki Medical College Teaching Hospital, Janakpurdham, Nepal. Sixty consecutive patients with AF were taken. Presenting complaints, past history, personal history was recorded. A thorough clinical examination was done, electrocardiogram, chest X-Ray posterio-anterior view, echocardiogram, thyroid function test and relevant test were done and analyzed.Results: Forty percent of the patients complained palpitation. Systemic thrombo-embolism was found in 15% of the patients. Other presenting complaints were cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, swelling of the legs, tremors. Eighteen percent of patients presented with features of congestive cardiac failure and 30% of the patients gave history of rheumatic heart disease, 16.6% and 11.6% hypertension and ischemic heart disease respectively. Etiology-wise, rheumatic heart disease was the most common (46.6%) followed by hypertension (21.6%), ischemic heart disease (11.6%), dilated cardiomyopathy (6.6%), hyperthyroidism (5%), pneumonia (5%).Conclusion: Rheumatic heart disease, especially mitral stenosis is the most common cause of AF in this study. Systemic hypertension was next common etiology of AF, followed by ischaemic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, thyroid disease. Heart failure, Systemic thromboembolism, decreased exercise tolerance are a major determinants for development of significant morbidity and mortality.Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Sciences (2016) Vol. 4 (1): 5-12

Download Full-text