Elevated soluble ST2 concentration may involve in the progression of atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to investigate the value of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) in Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients' risk prediction.

METHODS

Healthy people (n = 60) and AF patients (n = 194) were consecutively enrolled into this project.

RESULTS

In the health group, the mean age was 54 y (55% males). Serum median concentration of sST2 in healthy individuals was 17.04 ng/ml. In the AF patients group, the mean age was 61 years, and 64% were males. Median sST2 value was 21.69 ng/ml. According to subgroup analysis, median sST2 value of paroxysmal and persistent AF patients was 19.82 ng/ml and 24.15 ng/ml, respectively. Emergency AF patients showed much higher median sST2 concentration than AF outpatients (41.59 ng/ml vs. 20.53 ng/ml, p < 0.01). By multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for age and sex, heart failure (HF) and BNP strongly associated with sST2 concentration. After healthy people and AF patients with HF excluded, whether emergency visit or not become a patent predictor of sST2 concentration (n = 172).

CONCLUSION

sST2 is probably an objective biomarker that can predict AF patients' risk of emergency admission or HF. Elevated sST2 concentration may involve in the progression of AF.