Effect of Atrial Fibrillation on Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells

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Abstract
Background— Injury to the heart causes hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) to migrate to the site of damage and to undergo cell differentiation. Studies suggest that myocardial progenitor cells invade atrial tissue. So far it is unclear, however, whether an atrial disease per se affects circulating HPCs. Methods and Results— Seventeen patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (persistAF), 12 with paroxysmal AF (paroxAF), and 17 matched patients with sinus rhythm (SR) were studied. HPCs (CD34+ and CD34+/CD117+) were quantified with the use of a fluorescence-activated cell sorter; stromal cell–derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were determined by immunoassays. In patients with persistAF, blood samples were obtained before as well as 10 minutes, 24 hours, and 48 hours after electrical cardioversion. CD34+HPCs (AF, 7.0±2.3×103/mL versus SR, 5.0±1.6×103/mL; P<0.01) were increased during persistAF only. Highest SDF-1α levels were also...