Association of atrial arrhythmias with thrombospondin-1 in patients with acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES: Atrial remodeling is the main developmental cause of atrial arrhythmias (AA), which may induce atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, and frequent premature atrial beats in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) has been shown to play an important role in inflammatory and fibrotic processes, but its role in atrial arrhythmias is not well described. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of TSP-1 in AMI patients with atrial arrhythmias. METHODS: A total of 219 patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and with no previous arrhythmias were included. TSP-1 were analyzed in plasma samples. Patients were classified into 2 groups, namely, with and without AA during the acute phase of MI. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring was used for AA diagnosis in hospital. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients developed AA. Patients with AA had higher TSP-1 levels (29.01 ± 25.87 μg/mL vs 18.36 ± 10.89 μg/mL, p < 0.001) than those without AA. AA patients also tended to be elderly (65.25 ± 9.98 years vs 57.47 ± 10.78 years, p < 0.001), had higher Hs-CRP (39.74 ± 43.50 mg/L vs 12.22 ± 19.25 mg/L, p < 0.001) and worse heart function. TSP-1 (OR 1.033; 95% CI 1.003–1.065, p = 0.034), Hs-CRP (OR 1.023; 95% CI 1.006–1.041, p = 0.008), age (OR 1.067; 95% CI 1.004–1.135, p = 0.038) and LVDd (OR 1.142; 95% CI 1.018–1.282, p = 0.024) emerged as independent risk factors for AA in AMI patients. CONCLUSION: TSP-1 is a potential novel indicator of atrial arrhythmias during AMI. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text]