sST2 association with atrial fibrillation development in patients with acute myocardial infarction with ST elevation

FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Type of funding sources: None. BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is considered a significant myocardial infarction complication. Recent investigations found that soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is an important player in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) development. However, sST2 role in the prognosis for atrial fibrillations in STEMI patients remains not fully clear. PURPOSE: The study aimed to investigate the sST2 role in the prognosis of atrial fibrillations development in STEMI patients. METHODS: 193 STEMI patients were enrolled into the study. 101 males, 92 females, with average age of 61.23±7.45 years. The follow-up period was 6 month. Plasma sST2 levels were measured at admission by ELISA. RESULTS: Plasma sST2 concentrations in patients with developed AF were 47.56 IQR [29.87; 61.33] ng / mL, which was significantly higher than in those patients without developed AF 39.67 IQR [22.16; 49.77] ng / mL, p < 0.01.Logistic regression analysis indicated that increased sST2 as a significant predictor for AF development (OR = 1.121, 95% CI: 1.055–1.971, p < 0.01). It remained significant even after adjustment for age and sex (OR = 1.023, 95% CI: 1.009–1.865, p < 0.01). ROC analysis showed that sST2 cut-off level for AF development was 49.12 ng/ml with a sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 73.5%, AUC 0.811; 95 % CI 0.633-0.873; p <0.001 CONCLUSION: The elevated sST2 plasma level is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation in STEMI patients. Our findings suggest new approaches for better management of high-risk STEMI patients.