Is postoperative atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery associated with endothelial activation, inflammation, and altered cell-cell interactions?
Postoperative atrial fibrillation is associated with increased endothelial activation, inflammation, and reduced Cx43 expression, highlighting potential mechanisms of atrial remodeling.
Greater endothelial activation and inflammation in AF patients compared to those without AF were found. The proinflammatory state in AF patients, in addition to the lower expression of Cx43, seems to be associated with atrial remodeling processes occurring in AF.
López‐Gálvez et al. (Tue,) studied this question.