RNA-sequencing of epicardial adipose tissue of patients with atrial fibrillation

Accumulating studies have suggested that epicardial adipose tissue play an important role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF), but few have characterized the underlying mechanism between their interactions. Recent evidence suggested that bioactive molecules secreted from EAT, including exosomes carrying non-coding RNAs, may modulate atrial remodeling. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression profile of mRNAs and ncRNAs in EAT with AF. Epicardial adipose samples collected from patients with persistent non-valvular AF (n=6) and sinus rhythm (n=6) were profiled using RNA-sequencing on the Illimina HiSeq 4000.