Stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α): A marker of disease burden in patients with atrial fibrillation

Objectives: Stromal cell-derived factor 1a (SDF-1), is a chemokine and is able to home hematopoietic progenitor cells to injured areas of heart tissue for structural repair. Previous studies have found increased levels of SDF-1 in several cardiac diseases, but only few studies have investigated SDF-1 in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to test SDF-1 in a large cohort of patients with AF and its role as a prognostic marker. Design: Between January 1st 2008 to December 1st 2012, 290 patients with ECG documented AF were enrolled from the in- and outpatient clinics at the Department of Cardiology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hvidovre, Denmark. Plasma levels of SDF-1 were measured using ELISA technique. Clinical data were registered and patient follow-up was conducted. Results: Patients with permanent AF had significantly higher SDF-1 levels (2199.5pg/ml) than the patients with paroxysmal AF (1982.0pg/ml) and persistent AF (1906.0pg/ml), p<0.0005. Higher SDF-1 level was associated with longer time spent in the hospital per readmission, p<0.05. Conclusion: In AF patients, a higher SDF-1 level was found in patients with a more progressive state of arrhythmia and was associated with longer hospitalizations. These findings suggest that SDF-1 could prove valuable in risk stratification and evaluating the disease burden in AF patients.