Adenovirus (AdV) has been suggested to be involved in pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate an association between AdV-specific immunoglobulins G in the serum (AdV-IgG) and AF. The present case-control study comprised two cohorts, including cohort 1 of patients with AF and cohort 2 of asymptomatic subjects. Initially, two groups, MA and MB, were selected from the cohorts 1 and 2, respectively, for serum proteome profiling using an antibody microarray to identify possible relevant protein targets. The data of microarray analysis indicated a possible overall increase in the total adenovirus signals in the group MA vs. group MB, suggesting potential relevance of adenoviral infection to AF. Then, the groups A (with AF) and B (control) were selected from the cohorts 1 and 2, respectively, to assay the presence and levels of AdV-IgG- by ELSA. The prevalence of AdV-IgG-positive status demonstrated a 2-fold increase in the group A (AF) compared with that in the group B (asymptomatic subjects); odds ratio 2.06 (95%CI: 1.11-3.84; P = 0.02). The prevalence of obesity demonstrated an approximately 3-fold increase in AdV-IgG-positive patients of the group A compared with that in AdV-IgG-negative patients of the same group A (odds ratio 2.7; 95% CI: 1.02-7.1; P = 0.04). Thus, AdV-IgG-positive reactivity was independently associated with AF, and AF was independently associated with BMI, indicating that adenoviral infection may be a possible etiological factor for AF.
Keywords: AdV-IgG; antibody microarray; atrial fibrillation; obesity; serum.
©2023 Gumanova, Zlobina, Bogdanova, Brutyan, Kalemberg, Metelskaya, Davtyan and Drapkina.