MiRNA21 and IL-18 levels in left atrial blood in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing cryoablation and their predictive value for recurrence of atrial fibrillation

The recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after cryoablation still needs to be prioritized, including discriminating predictive indicators.Eighty-seven patients aged 43-83 years who underwent cryo-balloon ablation were divided into paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (non-PAF) groups. Baseline data, intraoperative index, and miRNA21, IL-18, NLRP3, and visfatin levels in peripheral venous blood and left atrial blood were assessed. Follow-up was performed for 6 months to observe the recurrence of AF. A Cox risk ratio model was used to analyze indicators for predicting AF recurrence.The non-PAF and PAF group recurrence rates of AF were statistically different (p < 0.05) at 9/22 (40.9%) and 11/65 (16.9%), respectively. Biomarker levels in the left atrial blood were higher in the non-PAF group than in the PAF group (p < 0.05). The effects of non-PAF and levels of miRNA21 and IL-18 in left atrial serum on the recurrence of AF after cryoablation statistically differed (p < 0.05).The levels of miRNA21 and IL-18 were higher in left atrial blood than in peripheral blood, which may be related to the severity of AF and recurrence of AF after cryoablation.