Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common tachyarrhythmia. AF, due to substantial remodeling processes initiated in the atria, is a typically self-sustaining and progressive disease. Atrial remodeling has been intensively investigated at the molecular level in recent decades. Although the application of "omics" technologies has already significantly contributed to our current understanding of the pathophysiology of AF, the complexity of the latter and the large heterogeneity of AF patients remained a major limitation. With the advent of novel "omics" and by applying integrative approaches, it will be possible to extract more information and push boundaries. The present review will summarize the contribution of transcriptomics and proteomics to our understanding of the pathophysiology of AF.
Keywords: 2D-DIGE; Microarray technology; RNA sequencing; Rapid-pacing; Transcriptome.