A Study of the Correlation between Hs-Troponin I and NT-proBNP in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

 Background: Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, and the role of myocardial injury in this condition remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hs-troponin I and NT-proBNP levels in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 41 patients with atrial fibrillation. Serum levels of hs-troponin I, NT-proBNP, and other relevant biomarkers were measured. Correlation analysis and multivariate regression were performed to assess the relationship between these biomarkers and clinical characteristics.

Results:  Serum hs-troponin I levels among study participants were 22.5 (10.8-103) pg/mL. An elevated hs-troponin I level, defined as a value exceeding the 99th percentile, was observed in 39% of the cohort. Concurrently, median NT-proBNP levels were 108.9 (59.3-370.6) pmol/L, with only 2.4% of participants exhibiting values below the lower reference limit of 14.75 pmol/L. Hs-troponin I exhibited a significant positive correlation with CK-MB. Conversely, NT-proBNP demonstrated significant inverse correlations with HGB and eGFR. While hs-troponin I was significantly correlated with EF and EDV, no such association was observed between NT-proBNP and these echocardiographic parameters. Univariate analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between hs-troponin I and NT-proBNP. However, this relationship was no longer significant after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that both hs-troponin I and NT-proBNP are elevated in a significant proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation, indicating potential myocardial involvement. While a positive correlation was observed between these biomarkers in univariate analysis, this association was not confirmed after multivariate adjustment.