An accurate estimation of the duration of atrial fibrillation (AF) is critical for its safe management. Recent studies suggested that copeptin, carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA-125), galectin-3 and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) are increased in AF. We examined the ability of these markers to identify patients presenting with AF of ⤠48 versus > 48 h duration.
Retrospective analysis of a prospective study that included patients with AF of known duration.
98 patients were analyzed, 47 with AF â¤48h and 51 with >48h. In patients presenting with AF of ⤠48 versus > 48 h duration, the mean CA-125 concentration was 16.9±12.5 versus 30.9±36.3 U/mL (p=0.01), and GDF-15 concentration was 1320±889 versus 2608±2163 pg/mL (p<0.001). Copeptin concentration was not independently associated with AF duration. The Galectin-3 concentration did not differ between groups. Area under the ROC curve to identify patients with AFâ¤48h was 0.869 for CA-125, 0.853 for GDF-15.
The plasma concentrations of CA-125, GDF-15 and copeptin, but not Galectin-3, are higher in patients presenting with AF of > 48 h duration than in those with AF ⤠48h. The ability to discriminate recent AF offered by CA-125 and GDF-15 seems high.

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