Elevated Pre-Operative Serum Peptides for Collagen I and III Synthesis Result in Post-Surgical Atrial Fibrillation

This study sought to determine if serum markers for collagen I and III synthesis, the carboxyl terminal peptide from pro-collagen I (PICP) and the amino terminal peptide from pro-collagen III (PIIINP), correlate with left atrial (LA) fibrosis and post-operative atrial fibrillation (AF).

Background  AF after cardiac surgery is associated with adverse outcomes. We recently demonstrated that LA fibrosis is associated with post-operative AF in patients with no previous history of AF.

Methods  Fifty-four patients having cardiac surgery without a history of AF consented to left and right atrial biopsies and a pre-operative peripheral blood draw. Picrosirius red staining quantified the percentage of fibrosis, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assessed atrial tissue messenger ribonucleic acid transcripts involved in the fibrosis pathway.  Read More