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Alfano F, Cesari F, Gori AM, Berteotti M, Salvadori E, Giusti B, Bertelli A, Kura A, Barbato C, Formelli B, Pescini F, Fainardi E, Chiti S, Marzi C, Diciotti S, Marcucci R, Poggesi A. The Role of Extracellular Matrix and Inflammation in the Stratification of Bleeding and Thrombotic Risk of Atrial Fibrillation on Oral Anticoagulant Therapy: Insights from Strat-Af Study. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6866. [PMID: 37959331 PMCID: PMC10647302 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12216866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In anticoagulated atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, the validity of models recommended for the stratification of the risk ratio between benefits and hemorrhage risk is limited. We hypothesize that both circulating and neuroimaging-based markers might improve the prediction of bleeding and thrombotic risk in anticoagulated AF patients. The Strat-AF study is an observational, prospective, single-center study enrolling 170 patients with AF; recruited patients are evaluated by means of a comprehensive protocol, with clinical, cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and circulating biomarkers assessment. The main outcome is the evaluation of cerebral microangiopathy related to the levels of circulating biomarkers of inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. At multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, CHA2DS2-VASc, HAS-BLED and type of anticoagulant, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 levels were significantly and positively associated with the presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). A significant association between MMP-2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1,-2,-4 levels and white matter hyperintensity was also found. Concerning the small vessel disease (SVD) score, MMP-2 and TIMP-1,-2 levels were associated with the presence of two and three or more signs of SVD, whereas TIMP-4 levels were associated with the presence of three signs of SVD with respect to patients with no instrumental signs of SVD. As regarding the presence of enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), a significant association was found for high levels of interleukin (IL)-8 and TIMP 1-2-3. These results demonstrate that patients with AF have evidence of impaired ECM degradation, which is an independent risk factor for thrombotic complications of AF patients on oral anticoagulant therapy. The incorporation of these markers in the prognostic schemes might improve their clinical capability in predicting stroke risk and thrombotic complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Alfano
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
- Center for Atherothrombotic Diseases, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Cesari
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
- Center for Atherothrombotic Diseases, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Gori
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
- Center for Atherothrombotic Diseases, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Martina Berteotti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
- Center for Atherothrombotic Diseases, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Emilia Salvadori
- NEUROFARBA Department, Neuroscience Section, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.S.); (C.B.); (B.F.); (A.P.)
- Stroke Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Betti Giusti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
- Center for Atherothrombotic Diseases, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Alessia Bertelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
| | - Ada Kura
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
- Center for Atherothrombotic Diseases, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Carmen Barbato
- NEUROFARBA Department, Neuroscience Section, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.S.); (C.B.); (B.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Benedetta Formelli
- NEUROFARBA Department, Neuroscience Section, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.S.); (C.B.); (B.F.); (A.P.)
| | | | - Enrico Fainardi
- Neuroradiology Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Stefano Chiti
- Health Physics Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Chiara Marzi
- Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara” (IFAC), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
| | - Stefano Diciotti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Rossella Marcucci
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (F.A.); (F.C.); (A.M.G.); (M.B.); (B.G.); (A.B.); (A.K.)
- Center for Atherothrombotic Diseases, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Anna Poggesi
- NEUROFARBA Department, Neuroscience Section, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.S.); (C.B.); (B.F.); (A.P.)
- Stroke Unit, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy;
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