Association of gene polymorphism at atrial fibrillation: A literature review

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation is the most common persistent heart rhythm disorder, the prevalence of which increases with age. The progressive prevalence of atrial fibrillation is becoming a serious threat to public health throughout the world, as it is associated with high mortality rates. In the review, we analyzed the literature data on the state of knowledge of the genetic nature of atrial fibrillation. To achieve this goal, a systematic search and subsequent analysis of publications and online resources was carried out. All publications are indexed in PubMed, Medline, e-library, Google Scholar. To date, at least 30 loci associated with atrial fibrillation have been identified. At the same time, the research results depend on such factors as ethnicity, concomitant cardiac and extracardiac diseases, inheritance mechanisms, and intergenic interactions. The complexity of etiopathogenesis, the heterogeneity of atrial fibrillation poses the task of researchers to further search for factors that play a leading role in the development of the disease. Significant progress in understanding the genetic basis of atrial fibrillation was achieved with the advent of large-scale genomic GWAS studies, which include genotyping up to a million common variants or single nucleotide polymorphisms. The currently available data on the association of candidate genes with atrial fibrillation in case-control studies are controversial and necessitate more detailed studies on various ethnic groups.