Histological evidence of inflammatory reaction associated with fibrosis in the atrial and ventricular walls in a case-control study of patients with history of atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Chronic inflammation in the atrial myocardium was shown to play an important role in the development of atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is not clear to what extent atrial inflammatory reaction associated with AF extends on the ventricular myocardium. Our aim was to assess the extent of fibrosis and lymphomononuclear infiltration in human ventricular myocardium and explore its association with AF.

P-wave characteristics and histological atrial abnormality.

Background: Fibro-fatty transformation is believed to be the leading cause of deteriorated atrial conduction; however, any direct assessment in relation to P-wave characteristics is lacking. We sought to assess P-wave morphology (PWM) and duration (PWD) in relation to histology of the atrial myocardium.

Objective: Atrial specimens were collected from 11 patients who died from cardiovascular causes (7 men; median age 73 years).

Structural abnormalities in atrial walls are associated with presence and persistency of atrial fibrillation but not with age.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between structural changes in human atria, age, and history of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Background: Development of fibrosis in atrial walls is associated with deterioration of atrial conduction and predisposes to AF in experiment. Human data, however, are scarce, and whether fibrosis is a cause or consequence of AF is not known.