Abstract: Objective:To observe the change of high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) in patients with atrial fibrillation so as to explore the correlation between inflammation and atrial fibrillation. Methods:Eighty-four patients with atrial fibrillation were divided into two groups:persistent atrial fibrillation(> 30 days) group(43 cases) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(< 48 hours) group(41 cases),and 40 patients with sinus rhythm acted as control. The serum hs-CRP content of each group was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results:The serum level of hs-CRP in the persistent atrial fibrillation group was higher than that in the paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group and the control group (P<0.01); the serum level of hs-CRP content in the paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group was higher than that in the control group(P<0.01). Conclusions:The result indicates that inflammation may play an important role in the genesis and sustaining of atrial fibrillation.