Integrated Analysis of Dysregulated lncRNA and mRNA Expression profiles of myocardial sleevesof pulmonary veins in atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently the most prevalent arrhythmia worldwide.Recent clinical data implicate the additional contribution of non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of AF，which include microRNAs(miRNAs), endogenous small interfering RNAs, PIWIinteracting RNAs, and lncRNA. Notably, a growing number of lncRNAs have been implicated in disease etiology, although an association with AF has not been reported. In the present study, we conducted an integrated analysis of dysregulated lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in myocardial sleevesof pulmonary veins between the patients who develop AF and the patients who were in normal sinus rhythm, which was performed using a second generation lncRNA microarray，focusing specifically on the identification and characterization of lncRNAs and mRNA potentially involving in maintaining atrial fibrillation. We conducted an integrated analysis of myocardial sleeves of pulmonary veins（PVs）from 12 patients (6 non-AF and 6AF) in our center, of which hypertension, diabetes, smoking and alcohol abuse were excluded, using a second generation lncRNA microarray