Predictive Properties of Myocardial Fibrosis Biomarkers on the Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. As an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality, particularly for stroke, its management is a real public health issue. AF is associated with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart failure and, occasionally, hyperthyroidism. Atrial fibrosis is one of the major players in the genesis and maintenance of AF. It has a strong impact on rhythmic prognosis and treatment success. Currently the AF ablation is the treatment recommended by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and by the American Society of Cardiology. The rate of AF recurrence is variable according to the patient characteristics and remains unfortunately today difficult to predict. Abnormal concentrations of circulating biomarkers reflecting the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of myocardial fibrosis could help to identify patients at higher risk of developing AF and/or AF recurrence after ablation. Thus, the development of simple, reliable and valid biological tests of atrial fibrosis would allow the clinicians i) to estimate the potential success of AF ablation; ii) to predict AF recurrence; iv) and to propose a AF personalized therapeutic approach. The main objective of PROFIB-AF study is to identify, among biological markers (ICTP, PICP, PIIINP, sRAGE, AGE, Galectin 3, sSt2, microRNAs) of myocardial fibrosis, those which can predict the recurrence risk after AF ablation.