Increased plasma corin levels in patients with atrial fibrillation

Abstract Background NPPA mutations/polymorphisms were associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), and plasma proatrial natriuretic peptide (proANP) concentrations were increased in AF patients. Corin, as a transmembrane protease that processes proANP in the heart, may play a potential role in AF. Methods To test whether corin concentrations are altered in AF patients, we used ELISA to measure corin and N-terminal proANP (NT-proANP) concentrations in plasma samples from control (n = 127) and AF patients (n = 141), including paroxysmal AF (PAF, n = 83) and persistent AF (PeAF, n = 58). Results In patients with AF, plasma corin concentrations were 1209 ± 510 pg/ml, which were significantly higher than in the controls (973 ± 528 pg/ml, P  Conclusion High plasma corin concentrations in AF patients suggest that corin may play an important role in the pathology of AF.