Probing the association between PD-1/PD-L1 expression and atrial fibrillation in peripheral blood of Han and Kazakh populations in Xinjiang region

This study aimed to investigate the association between peripheral blood programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and atrial fibrillation (AF) in the Han and Kazakh populations of Xinjiang. From May 2017 to December 2018, the Han and Kazakh groups in Xinjiang were selected for analysis using flow cytometry and other methodologies. Rigorous quality control measures were implemented to assess indicators associated with AF. Research has demonstrated that among the Han Kazakh group with AF, the positive expression rate of PD-1/PD-L1 on CD4+ T lymphocytes and dendritic cells in the AF cohort is lower than that observed in the control group, indicating a significant difference between the 2 ethnic groups. Additionally, the proliferation capacity of lymphocytes and the levels of cytokine secretion also exhibit differences that can be mitigated or reversed through treatment with interferon-α. Notably, the proliferation ability of the Han population is greater than that of the Kazakh population. Significant differences exist in the immune cell and cytokine profiles, as well as in PD-1/PD-L1 expression, between the Han and Kazakh groups with AF in Xinjiang and the control group. These differences may present potential targets for the treatment of AF.