Objective To investigate the correlation between plasma nucleotide-binding oligomer-ization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome and atrial remodeling in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF).Methods A total of 199 elderly NVAF patients hos-pitalized in the Department of Cardiology of the First Affiliated Kunming Medical University from July 2019 to October 2020 were enrolled in this study.The levels of inflammatory factors,such as plasma NLRP3 and IL-1β were detected using ELISA.Their clinical data and echocardio-graphic indicators were collected.According to the first quartile of left atrial diameter(LAD),they were divided into a LAD ≤36 mm group(52 cases)and a LAD>36 mm group(147 cases).Based on the mean level of NLRP3(97 ng/L),the patients were assigned into a low level group(95 ca-ses)and a high level group(104 cases).Using the first quartile of IL-1β at 49 ng/L and the third quartile at 106 ng/L,they were categorized into low,middle and high level groups(40,82 and 77 cases,respectively).The correlation between plasma NLRP3 and IL-1β levels and atrial remode-ling were analyzed.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine whether NLRP3 inflammasome was an independent influencing factor of atrial remodeling in NVAF pa-tients.Results The IL-1β and NLRP3 levels were significantly elevated in the LAD>36 mm group than the LAD ≤36 mm group(P<0.05,P<0.01).The patients with high NLRP3 level had an obviously larger transverse diameter of the middle right atrium than those with low level(P<0.05).Higher LAD index(LADI)was found in the high IL-1β level group than the low and middle level groups,and larger long diameter of right atrium was observed in the high level group than the low level group(P<0.05).Plasma NLRP3 level was positively correlated with LAD and transverse diameter of the middle right atrium(r=0.143,P=0.044;r=0.180,P=0.011),and plasma IL-1β level was positively correlated with LAD,LADI,and long diameter of the right atri-um(r=0.153,P=0.031;r=0.148,P=0.037;r=0.142,P=0.046).Multivariate logistic regres-sion analysis indicated that persistent atrial fibrillation,creatinine,pulmonary artery systolic pres-sure,and NLRP3 were independent risk factors for left atrial enlargement(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion NLRP3 inflammasome is closely associated with atrial remodeling in elderly NVAF patients,and elevated plasma NLRP3 level is an independent risk factor of left atrial remodeling.
atrial fibrillationatrial remodelingNLR family,pyrin domain-containing 3 protein