Inflammatory biomarkers for predicting postoperative atrial fibrillation in cardiac surgery

= 0.046) emerged as significant predictors, while NLR and CPB duration were moderately correlated with the occurrence of POAF. In contrast, within the valvular patient subgroup, the NLR again exhibited promising predictive value, along with increased markers of tissue injury such as CK, LDH, and creatinine. Readily accessible postoperative inflammatory markers, particularly NLR at 24 hours and CRP at 48 hours, demonstrated moderate predictive value for POAF in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. These markers, especially NLR and CRP, may potentially contribute to improved POAF risk stratification in clinical practice when combined with clinical risk factors. Furthermore, our analysis also indicates that preoperative IL-17A levels may influence the occurrence of POAF. Therefore, alongside CRP and NLR, preoperative IL-17A can be considered a potentially significant marker for atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery. However, these findings are preliminary and require validation in larger, multi-center studies to confirm their clinical utility and inform preventative strategies.