Plasma Catecholamine Levels on the Morning of Surgery Predict Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract Objectives This study sought to determine whether plasma catecholamines and monoamine oxidase-B (MOA-B) are associated with post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Background Although intra- and post-operative adrenergic tone has been demonstrated to be an causative factor for POAF, the role and association of pre-operative plasma catecholamines remains unclear. Methods Prior to administration of anesthesia on the morning of surgery, blood samples were obtained from 324 patients undergoing nonemergent coronary artery bypass graft and/or aortic valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at East Carolina Heart Institute. The concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), epinephrine (EPI), and enzyme MAO-B were assessed in platelet-rich plasma. A log-binomial regression model was used to determine the association between quartiles of these variables and POAF. Results Levels of NE (p = 0.0006) and EPI (p = 0.047) in the 4th quartile ( Q 4 NE + ) were positively associated with POAF, whereas DA (p = 0.0034) levels in the 4th quartile ( Q 4 DA + ) were inversely associated with POAF. Adjusting for age, heart failure (HF), and history of atrial fibrillation, the composite pre-operative (adrenergic) plasma marker ( Q 4 NE + V Q 4 DA − ) was associated with a 4-fold increased occurrence of POAF (adjusted p = 0.0001). No association between plasma MAO-B and POAF was observed. Conclusions Our results suggest that pre-operative adrenergic tone is an important factor underlying POAF. This information provides evidence that assessment of plasma catecholamines may be a low-cost method that is easy to implement for predicting which patients are likely to develop POAF. More investigation in a multicentric setting is needed to validate our results.