Abstract 15144: Bmp10 is a Novel Marker of Rhythm Status in Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia requiring therapy, is associated with significant morbidity and increased mortality. A major challenge in assessing disease progression and efficacy of AF therapy is the rigor of AF identification and, despite a critical need, there is no effective biomarker that tracks burden of disease or response to therapy. BMP10, a critical signaling molecule during cardiac development, has emerged as a promising marker for response to catheter ablation, however it is unknown whether BMP10 tracks AF burden. To evaluate BMP10 as a potential biomarker for AF burden, I sought to determine whether plasma levels of BMP10 could track rhythm status. Methods: 40 patients with an active history of AF were prospectively enrolled in a clinical biorepository and plasma samples were collected at the time of enrollment. Rhythm status at enrollment was determined by ECG. Plasma BMP10 levels were measured by ELISA (LSBio). Results: Of the 40 patients enrolled, 23 were in sinus rhythm (SR) and 17 were in an episode of AF. Baseline characteristics were similar across the two groups (Table 1). Patients who were in an active AF episode had higher levels of plasma BMP10 (1.94 ng/mL, SEM: 0.19) than patients in SR (1.44 ng/mL, SEM 0.11) (p= 0.04). (Figure 1) CONCLUSION: Blood plasma BMP10 is modulated by rhythm status in patients with AF, suggesting that BMP10 may be a promising biomarker for AF burden and response to therapy. Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of Rhythm Status Groups Figure 1. Plasma BMP10 Levels by Rhythm Status