RESUMEN
AIMS: Heart failure (HF) is a frequent condition in the elderly, further complicated by associated pulmonary hypertension (PH), with impact on morbidity and mortality. Plasma proteins associated with cardiovascular disease, related to inflammation, neurohormonal changes, and myocyte stress, pathways recognized in the pathophysiology of HF, may provide information on disease severity and prognosis. We aimed to investigate such cardiovascular proteins and their relationship to haemodynamics before and 1 year after heart transplantation (HT), as well as their prognostic value in advanced HF with PH. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 20 healthy controls and 67 patients with HF and PH, before and 1 year after HT, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and 18 cardiovascular proteins were analysed with proximity extension assay. Right heart catheterization was used to measure the haemodynamics of the HF patients pre-operatively and at 1 year follow-up after HT. Prognosis was estimated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Out of 18 plasma proteins, 11 proteins including adrenomedullin peptides and precursor levels (ADM) and protein suppression of tumourigenicity 2 receptor were elevated before HT compared with healthy controls and had decreased 1 year after HT. The decrease in plasma levels 1 year after HT was towards the healthy controls' levels. The decrease in ADM levels before vs. after HT correlated with decreased mean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.61; P = 0.0077), decreased NT-proBNP (rs = 0.75; P = 0.00025), and decreased stroke volume index (rs = -0.52; P = 0.022). High levels of pre-operative plasma ADM were associated with worse event-free survival (HT or death), as well as survival compared with low ADM levels (log-rank P value = 0.023 and 0.0225, respectively). Univariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that ADM levels were associated with survival, hazard ratio (HR) 1.007 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00-1.015, P = 0.049), and the association remained after adjusting for NT-proBNP, HR 1.01 (95% CI: 1.00-1.021, P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated plasma levels of ADM may be a marker of pressure/volume overload in HF patients with PH, as well as long-term prognosis after HT. In line with previous studies, our findings additionally confirm that ADM may be a marker of venous congestion in HF. Further studies are encouraged to establish a deeper understanding of the properties of ADM and its relationship with HF and PH, in order to potentially facilitate clinical management of HF and associated PH.
Asunto(s)
Insuficiencia Cardíaca , Trasplante de Corazón , Humanos , Anciano , Adrenomedulina , Biomarcadores , Pronóstico , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/complicaciones , HemodinámicaRESUMEN
AIMS: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive condition that is becoming more prevalent in the ageing population. Pulmonary hypertension is a common complicating factor in HF and negatively impacts survival. Plasma biomarkers are a potential method for determining the prognosis of patients with left heart failure with pulmonary hypertension (LHF-PH). We aimed to analyse the prognostic capability of 33 proteins related to, among other pathways, inflammation, coagulation, and Wnt signalling in LHF-PH. METHODS: Plasma levels of 33 proteins were analysed using proximity extension assay from the plasma of 20 controls and 67 LHF-PH patients, whereof 19 underwent heart transplantation (HT). Haemodynamics in the patients were assessed using right heart catheterization. RESULTS: Eleven proteins had elevated plasma levels in LHF-PH compared with controls (P < 0.01), which decreased towards the controls' levels after HT (P < 0.01). Survival analysis of these proteins showed that elevated plasma levels of growth hormone, programmed cell death 1 ligand 2, tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2, and Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF-1) were associated with worse transplantation-free survival in LHF-PH (P < 0.05). When adjusted for age, sex and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels using multivariable cox regressions, only WIF-1 remained prognostic [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)] [1.013 (1.001-1.024)]. WIF-1 levels in LHF-PH patients also correlated with the mean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.42; P < 0.01), stroke volume index (rs = 0.41; P < 0.01), cardiac index (rs = -0.42; P < 0.01), left ventricular stroke work index (rs = -0.41; P < 0.01), and NT-proBNP (rs = 0.63; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that LHF-PH patients have higher plasma WIF-1 levels than healthy controls, suggesting that plasma WIF-1 may be a potential future prognostic biomarker in LHF-PH. Its prognostic capability could be further refined by including it in a multi-marker panel. Further studies are needed to establish the potential role of WIF-1 in LHF-PH pathophysiology in larger cohorts to determine its clinical applicability.