Integrated untargeted/targeted metabolomics identifies a putative oxylipin signature in patients with atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease.

Background and objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary heart disease (CHD) are closely related to metabolic dysregulation. However, the metabolic characteristics of AF patients with concomitant CHD remain unclear. The aims of this study were to elucidate the metabolic profiles of patients with AF and CHD to seek new therapeutic targets and related factors of AF combined with CHD.

Methods: Untargeted metabolomics and targeted oxylipins profiling were performed to characterize the serum metabolome landscape of patients with AF, CHD, and AF comorbid CHD.

Results: The serum metabolic fingerprints of patients with AF comorbid CHD were significantly differentiated from normal controls (NC) and individuals with AF or CHD alone, and the differentiated metabolites dominated by a variety of lipid alterations in the phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism. Furthermore, the targeted profiles of oxylipins demonstrated that the levels of arachidonic acid derivatives including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acids, hydroxy-eicostetraenoic acids and hydroxy-eicosatrienoic acids in patients with AF and CHD were significantly different from those in the NC, AF, and CHD groups. Several prostaglandins were positively associated with echocardiographic indicators of myocardial remodeling.

Conclusions: This study updates metabolic insights of AF and CHD and provides potential therapeutic targets for preventing or treating AF comorbid CHD.