PLoS ONE (Jan 2016)

Interleukin-6 Is a Risk Factor for Atrial Fibrillation in Chronic Kidney Disease: Findings from the CRIC Study.

  • Richard L Amdur,
  • Monica Mukherjee,
  • Alan Go,
  • Ian R Barrows,
  • Ali Ramezani,
  • Jun Shoji,
  • Muredach P Reilly,
  • Joseph Gnanaraj,
  • Raj Deo,
  • Sylvia Roas,
  • Martin Keane,
  • Steve Master,
  • Valerie Teal,
  • Elsayed Z Soliman,
  • Peter Yang,
  • Harold Feldman,
  • John W Kusek,
  • Cynthia M Tracy,
  • Dominic S Raj,
  • CRIC Study Investigators

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148189
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 2
p. e0148189

Abstract

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study, we examined the association between inflammation and AF in 3,762 adults with CKD, enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study. AF was determined at baseline by self-report and electrocardiogram (ECG). Plasma concentrations of interleukin(IL)-1, IL-1 Receptor antagonist, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, transforming growth factor-β, high sensitivity C-Reactive protein, and fibrinogen, measured at baseline. At baseline, 642 subjects had history of AF, but only 44 had AF in ECG recording. During a mean follow-up of 3.7 years, 108 subjects developed new-onset AF. There was no significant association between inflammatory biomarkers and past history of AF. After adjustment for demographic characteristics, comorbid conditions, laboratory values, echocardiographic variables, and medication use, plasma IL-6 level was significantly associated with presence of AF at baseline (Odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 2.14; P = 0.001) and new-onset AF (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.53; P = 0.03). To summarize, plasma IL-6 level is an independent and consistent predictor of AF in patients with CKD.