Global longitudinal strain and plasma biomarkers for prognosis in heart failure complicated by diabetes: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) and diabetes are associated with increased incidence and worse prognosis of each other. The prognostic value of global longitudinal strain (GLS) measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has not been established in HF patients with diabetes. METHODS: In this prospective, observational study, consecutive patients (n = 315) with HF underwent CMR at 3T, including GLS, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), native T1, and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) mapping. Plasma biomarker concentrations were measured including: N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity troponin T(hs-TnT), growth differentiation factor 15(GDF-15), soluble ST2(sST2), and galectin 3(Gal-3). The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality or HF hospitalisation. RESULTS: Compared to those without diabetes (n = 156), the diabetes group (n = 159) had a higher LGE prevalence (76 vs. 60%, p < 0.05), higher T1 (1285±42 vs. 1269±42ms, p < 0.001), and higher ECV (30.5±3.5 vs. 28.8±4.1%, p < 0.001). The diabetes group had higher NT-pro-BNP, hs-TnT, GDF-15, sST2, and Gal-3. Diabetes conferred worse prognosis (hazard ratio (HR) 2.33 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43-3.79], p < 0.001). In multivariable Cox regression analysis including clinical markers and plasma biomarkers, sST2 alone remained independently associated with the primary outcome (HR per 1 ng/mL 1.04 [95% CI 1.02-1.07], p = 0.001). In multivariable Cox regression models in the diabetes group, both GLS and sST2 remained prognostic (GLS: HR 1.12 [95% CI 1.03-1.21], p = 0.01; sST2: HR per 1 ng/mL 1.03 [95% CI 1.00-1.06], p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to HF patients without diabetes, those with diabetes have worse plasma and CMR markers of fibrosis and a more adverse prognosis. GLS by CMR is a powerful and independent prognostic marker in HF patients with diabetes.

Serum Placental Growth Factor as a Marker of Cerebrovascular Disease Burden in Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Concomitant cerebrovascular diseases (CeVD) have been identified as an important determinant of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Development of robust blood-based biomarkers will provide critical tools to evaluate prognosis and potential interventional strategies for AD with CeVD. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated circulating placental growth factor (PlGF), a potent pro-angiogenic factor related to endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation, in an Asian memory clinic cohort of non-demented individuals as well as AD, including its associations with neuroimaging markers of CeVD. METHODS: 109 patients with AD, 76 cognitively impaired with no dementia (CIND), and 56 non-cognitively impaired (NCI) were included in this cross-sectional study. All subjects underwent 3T brain magnetic resonance imaging to assess white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunes, cortical infarcts, and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs). Serum PlGF concentrations were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. RESULTS: Serum PlGF was elevated in AD, but not CIND, compared to the NCI controls. Adjusted concentrations of PlGF were associated with AD only in the presence of significant CeVD. Elevated PlGF was significantly associated with higher burden of WMH and with CMBs in AD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Serum PlGF has potential utility as a biomarker for the presence of CeVD, specifically WMH and CMBs, in AD. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms linking PlGF to CeVD, as well as to further assess PlGF's clinical utility.

Multiple circulating forms of neprilysin detected with novel epitope-directed monoclonal antibodies.

Neprilysin (NEP) is an emerging biomarker for various diseases including heart failure (HF). However, major inter-assay inconsistency in the reported concentrations of circulating NEP and uncertainty with respect to its correlations with type and severity of disease are in part attributed to poorly characterized antibodies supplied in commercial ELISA kits. Validated antibodies with well-defined binding footprints are critical for understanding the biological and clinical context of NEP immunoassay data. To achieve this, we applied in silico epitope prediction and rational peptide selection to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against spatially distant sites on NEP. One of the selected epitopes contained published N-linked glycosylation sites at N285 and N294. The best antibody pair, mAb 17E11 and 31E1 (glycosylation-sensitive), were characterized by surface plasmon resonance, isotyping, epitope mapping, and western blotting. A validated two-site sandwich NEP ELISA with a limit of detection of 2.15 pg/ml and working range of 13.1-8000 pg/ml was developed with these mAbs. Western analysis using a validated commercial polyclonal antibody (PE pAb) and our mAbs revealed that non-HF and HF plasma NEP circulates as a heterogenous mix of moieties that possibly reflect proteolytic processing, post-translational modifications and homo-dimerization. Both our mAbs detected a ~ 33 kDa NEP fragment which was not apparent with PE pAb, as well as a common ~ 57-60 kDa moiety. These antibodies exhibit different affinities for the various NEP targets. Immunoassay results are dependent on NEP epitopes variably detected by the antibody pairs used, explaining the current discordant NEP measurements derived from different ELISA kits.

Differential Associations of A-/B-Type Natriuretic Peptides With Cardiac Structure, Function, and Prognosis in Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Natriuretic peptide (NP) elevations are prognostic in heart failure (HF), but relative atrial NP deficiency in acute HF has been suggested. OBJECTIVES: The authors compared plasma concentrations and relative strength of associations of A- and B-type NPs with cardiac structure/function and clinical outcomes in HF. METHODS: Midregional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured in patients with compensated HF in a prospective, multicenter study. The primary outcome was a composite of HF-hospitalization or all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included individual primary outcome components and cardiovascular admission. RESULTS: Among 1,278 patients (age 60.1 ± 12.1 years, 82% men, left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 34% ± 14%), median concentrations of MR-proANP were 990 pg/mL (Q1-Q3: 557-1,563 pg/mL), NT-proBNP 1,648 pg/mL (Q1-Q3: 652-3,960 pg/mL), and BNP 291 pg/mL (Q1-Q3: 103-777 pg/mL). No subpopulation with inappropriately low MR-proANP (relative to BNP/NT-proBNP) was observed. Clinical event rates were similar for biomarker tertiles. Increments in MR-proANP exhibited steeper associations with concurrent shifts in left ventricular size, diastolic indexes and LVEF than BNP/NT-proBNP at baseline and serially (P < 0.05), and lower odds of beneficial left ventricular reverse remodeling: OR: 0.35 (95% CI: 0.18-0.70). In single-biomarker models, MR-proANP(log10) was associated with the highest hazard (4 to 6 times) for each outcome. In multimarker models, independent associations were observed for the primary outcome (MR-proANP and NT-proBNP), HF-hospitalization and cardiovascular admission (MR-proANP only), and all-cause mortality (NT-proBNP only) (P < 0.05). The discriminative value of MR-proANP was superior to BNP/NT-proBNP (HF-hospitalization) and BNP (primary outcome) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MR-proANP was not inappropriately low relative to concurrent BNP/NT-proBNP values. Proportional increments in MR-proANP were more pronounced than for B-peptides for given decrements in cardiac structure/function. MR-proANP offered greater independent predictive power overall.

Circulating cardiac biomarkers improve risk stratification for incident cardiovascular disease in community dwelling populations.

BACKGROUND: Plasma cardiac markers may assist in prediction of incident cardiovascular disease. METHODS: The incremental value of cardiac Troponins (T and I) and NT-proBNP added to risk factors in the PREDICT score for incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in primary care, was assessed in 4102 asymptomatic participants in a randomised controlled trial of Vitamin D (ViDA). Findings were corroborated in 2528 participants in a separate community-based observational registry of CVD-free volunteers (HVOLS). FINDINGS: Hazard ratios for first cardiovascular events adjusted for PREDICT risk factors, comparing fifth to first quintiles of marker plasma concentrations, were 2.57 (95% CI 1.47-4.49); 3.01 (1.66-5.48) and 3.38 (2.04-5.60) for hs-cTnI, hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP respectively. The C statistic for discrimination of the primary endpoint increased from 0.755 to 0.771 (+0.016, p = 0.01). Cardiac marker data correctly reclassified risk upwards in 6.7% of patients and downwards in 3.3%. These findings were corroborated by results from HVOLS. INTERPRETATION: Increments in plasma cardiac biomarkers robustly and reproducibly predicted increased hazard of incident CVD, independent of established risk factors, in two community-dwelling populations. Cardiac markers may augment risk assessment for onset of CVD in primary care. FUNDING: ViDA was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (grant 10/400) and the Accident Compensation Corporation. HVOLS was funded by the Health Research Council of NZ Programme Grants (grants 02/152 and 08/070) and by grants from the Heart Foundation of NZ and the Christchurch Heart Institute Trust. Roche Diagnostics provided in-kind support for NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT assays and Abbott Laboratories for hs-cTnI assays.

Finding a reliable assay for soluble neprilysin.

BACKGROUND: Lack of validation and standardization of research-use-only (RUO) immunoassays brings with it inherent threats to authenticity and functional quality. Poor correlation between different commercial neprilysin RUO immunoassays is concerning and discordant findings need to be resolved. We seek to identify and validate reliable neprilysin immunoassays to strengthen the scientific rigor and reproducibility of neprilysin-related investigation and of biomarker research in general. METHODS: Soluble neprilysin (sNEP) concentrations were determined in cohorts (n = 532) from Spain (Cohort 1), New Zealand (NZ, Cohort 2) and Singapore (Cohort 3), using commercial kits from six vendors. Apparent sNEP concentrations were correlated between different assays and with plasma neprilysin activity. Assay reliability was further validated by performance verification, MS analysis and cross-reactivity tests. RESULTS: sNEP in Cohorts 1 and 2 measured concurrently in Spain and NZ showed significant inter-laboratory correlation only for the Aviscera Bioscience sNEP ELISA SK00724-01. Neprilysin concentrations obtained with the R&D systems and SK00724-01 ELISAs correlated with each other but not with neprilysin activity. In Cohort 3, sNEP concentrations from the Perkin Elmer AlphaLISA and Biotechne ELLA assays agreed (r = 0.89) and both correlated with neprilysin activity (r = 0.87, 0.77 respectively). MS analysis detected authentic neprilysin in the AlphaLISA kit calibrator and in antibody pull-down material from human plasma. The AlphaLISA assay performed within acceptable limits (spike and recovery, dilutional linearity, inter- and intra-assay CV) and showed no cross-reactivity against neprilysin substrates and closely-related analogues. CONCLUSION: AlphaLISA and ELLA assays provide reliable measures of sNEP concentrations. Reliability of other commercial neprilysin assays remains in question.

Novel predictive role for mid-regional proadrenomedullin in moderate to severe aortic stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the prognostic significance of selected known and novel circulating biomarkers in aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS: N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity troponin-T (hsTnT), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (ST2), mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) and mid-regional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) were measured in patients with moderate to severe AS, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I-II and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%, recruited consecutively across five centres from 2011 to 2018. Their ability to predict both primary (all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalisation or progression to NYHA class III-IV) and secondary (additionally incorporating syncope and acute coronary syndrome) outcomes was determined by competing risk analyses. RESULTS: Among 173 patients with AS (age 69±11 years, 55% male, peak transaortic velocity (Vmax) 4.0±0.8 m/s), the primary and secondary outcomes occurred in 59 (34%) and 66 (38%), respectively. With aortic valve replacement as a competing risk, the primary outcome was determined consistently by the comorbidity index and each selected biomarker except ST2 (p<0.05), independent of NYHA class, Vmax, LV-global longitudinal strain and serum creatinine. MR-proADM had the highest discriminative value for both primary (subdistribution HR (SHR) 11.3, 95% CI 3.9 to 32.7) and secondary outcomes (SHR 12.6, 95% CI 4.7 to 33.5). Prognostic assessment of dual-biomarker combinations identified MR-proADM plus either hsTnT or NT-proBNP as the best predictive model for both clinical outcomes. Paired biomarker models were not superior to those including MR-proADM as the sole circulating biomarker. CONCLUSION: MR-proADM most powerfully portended worse prognosis and should be further assessed as possibly the biomarker of choice for risk stratification in AS.

Epitope-directed monoclonal antibody production using a mixed antigen cocktail facilitates antibody characterization and validation.

High quality, well-validated antibodies are needed to mitigate irreproducibility and clarify conflicting data in science. We describe an epitope-directed monoclonal antibody (mAb) production method that addresses issues of antibody quality, validation and utility. The workflow is illustrated by generating mAbs against multiple in silico-predicted epitopes on human ankyrin repeat domain 1 (hANKRD1) in a single hybridoma production cycle. Antigenic peptides (13-24 residues long) presented as three-copy inserts on the surface exposed loop of a thioredoxin carrier produced high affinity mAbs that are reactive to native and denatured hANKRD1. ELISA assay miniaturization afforded by novel DEXT microplates allowed rapid hybridoma screening with concomitant epitope identification. Antibodies against spatially distant sites on hANKRD1 facilitated validation schemes applicable to two-site ELISA, western blotting and immunocytochemistry. The use of short antigenic peptides of known sequence facilitated direct epitope mapping crucial for antibody characterization. This robust method motivates its ready adoption for other protein targets.

Atrial Fibrillation and the Prognostic Performance of Biomarkers in Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Consideration of circulating biomarkers for risk stratification in heart failure (HF) is recommended, but the influence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on prognostic performance of many markers is unclear. We investigated the influence of AF on the prognostic performance of circulating biomarkers in HF. METHODS: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), mid-regional-pro-atrial natriuretic peptide, C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), NT-proCNP, high-sensitivity troponin-T, high-sensitivity troponin-I, mid-regional-propeptide adrenomedullin, co-peptin, growth differentiation factor-15, soluble Suppressor of Tumorigenicitiy (sST2), galectin-3, and procalcitonin plasma concentrations were measured in a prospective, multicenter study of adults with HF. AF was defined as a previous history of AF, and/or presence of AF/flutter on baseline 12-lead electrocardiogram. The primary outcome was the composite of HF-hospitalization or all-cause mortality at 2 years. RESULTS: Among 1099 patients (age 62 ± 12years, 28% female), 261(24%) patients had AF. Above-median concentrations of all biomarkers were independently associated with increased risk of the primary outcome. Significant interactions with AF were detected for galectin-3 and sST2. In considering NT-proBNP for additive risk stratification, sST2 (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]1.85, 95%confidence interval [C.I.] 1.17-2.91) and galectin-3 (AHR1.85, 95%C.I. 1.09-2.45) were independently associated with increased primary outcome only in the presence of AF. The prognostic performance of sST2 was also stronger in AF for all-cause mortality (AF: AHR2.82, 95%C.I. 1.26-6.21; non-AF: AHR1.78, 95% C.I. 1.14-2.76 without AF), while galectin-3 predicted HF-hospitalization only in AF (AHR1.64, 95%C.I. 1.03-2.62). CONCLUSIONS: AF modified the prognostic utility of selected guideline-endorsed HF-biomarkers. Application of markers for prognostic purposes in HF requires consideration of the presence or absence of AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12610000374066.

Combining Circulating MicroRNA and NT-proBNP to Detect and Categorize Heart Failure Subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians need improved tools to better identify nonacute heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to derive and validate circulating microRNA signatures for nonacute heart failure (HF). METHODS: Discovery and validation cohorts (N = 1,710), comprised 903 HF and 807 non-HF patients from Singapore and New Zealand (NZ). MicroRNA biomarker panel discovery in a Singapore cohort (n = 546) was independently validated in a second Singapore cohort (Validation 1; n = 448) and a NZ cohort (Validation 2; n = 716). RESULTS: In discovery, an 8-microRNA panel identified HF with an area under the curve (AUC) 0.96, specificity 0.88, and accuracy 0.89. Corresponding metrics were 0.88, 0.66, and 0.77 in Validation 1, and 0.87, 0.58, and 0.74 in Validation 2. Combining microRNA panels with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) clearly improved specificity and accuracy from AUC 0.96, specificity 0.91, and accuracy 0.90 for NT-proBNP alone to corresponding metrics of 0.99, 0.99, and 0.93 in the discovery and 0.97, 0.96, and 0.93 in Validation 1. The 8-microRNA discovery panel distinguished HFpEF from HF with reduced ejection fraction with AUC 0.81, specificity 0.66, and accuracy 0.72. Corresponding metrics were 0.65, 0.41, and 0.56 in Validation 1 and 0.65, 0.41, and 0.62 in Validation 2. For phenotype categorization, combined markers achieved AUC 0.87, specificity 0.75, and accuracy 0.77 in the discovery with corresponding metrics of 0.74, 0.59, and 0.67 in Validation 1 and 0.72, 0.52, and 0.68 in Validation 2, as compared with NT-proBNP alone of AUC 0.71, specificity 0.46, and accuracy 0.62 in the discovery; with corresponding metrics of 0.72, 0.44, and 0.57 in Validation 1 and 0.69, 0.48, and 0.66 in Validation 2. Accordingly, false negative (FN) (81% Singapore and all NZ FN cases were HFpEF) as classified by a guideline-endorsed NT-proBNP ruleout threshold, were correctly reclassified by the 8-microRNA panel in the majority (72% and 88% of FN in Singapore and NZ, respectively) of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-microRNA panels in combination with NT-proBNP are highly discriminatory and improved specificity and accuracy in identifying nonacute HF. These findings suggest potential utility in the identification of nonacute HF, where clinical assessment, imaging, and NT-proBNP may not be definitive, especially in HFpEF.

The prognostic value of highly sensitive cardiac troponin assays for adverse events in men and women with stable heart failure and a preserved vs. reduced ejection fraction.

AIMS: Circulating biomarkers are important in the diagnosis, risk stratification and management of patients with heart failure (HF). Given the current lack of biomarkers in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), we aimed to investigate the prognostic performance of the newly developed high-sensitivity (hs) assays for cardiac troponin I (hsTnI) compared with troponin T (hsTnT) for adverse events in HFpEF vs. HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Findings in these two HF subgroups were also compared with those in the recently defined HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) subgroup. METHODS AND RESULTS: Both hsTnI and hsTnT were measured in 1096 patients with HFrEF [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50%; n = 853] or HFpEF (LVEF ≥50%; n = 243) enrolled in the Singapore Heart Failure Outcomes and Phenotypes (SHOP) study. Both troponin assays were more strongly associated with the composite endpoint (all-cause mortality or first rehospitalization for HF) in HFpEF than in HFrEF. The hsTnT assay provided the greatest additional prognostic value in HFpEF in comparison with hsTnI and NT-proBNP. TnI was more strongly associated with composite events in men with HFpEF [hazard ratio (HR) 3.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.82-6.09; P < 0.001 per standard deviation (SD) increase in log-transformed hsTnI] than in women with HFpEF (HR 1.35, 95% CI 0.94-1.93; P = 0.10 per SD increase in log-transformed hsTnI). CONCLUSIONS: There is a potential role for the prognostic use of high-sensitivity troponin assays, particularly hsTnT, in men and women with HFpEF. The predictive association of hsTnI with outcome appears strongest in men with HFpEF.

Thymosin Beta-4 Is Elevated in Women With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND: Thymosin beta-4 (TB4) is an X-linked gene product with cardioprotective properties. Little is known about plasma concentration of TB4 in heart failure (HF), and its relationship with other cardiovascular biomarkers. We sought to evaluate circulating TB4 in HF patients with preserved (HFpEF) or reduced (HFrEF) ejection fraction compared to non-HF controls. METHODS AND RESULTS: TB4 was measured using a liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry assay in age- and sex-matched HFpEF (n=219), HFrEF (n=219) patients, and controls (n=219) from a prospective nationwide study. Additionally, a 92-marker multiplex proximity extension assay was measured to identify biomarker covariates. Compared with controls, plasma TB4 was elevated in HFpEF (985 [421-1723] ng/mL versus 1401 [720-2379] ng/mL, P<0.001), but not in HFrEF (1106 [556-1955] ng/mL, P=0.642). Stratifying by sex, only women (1623 [1040-2625] ng/mL versus 942 [386-1891] ng/mL, P<0.001), but not men (1238.5 [586-1967] ng/mL versus 1004 [451-1538] ng/mL, P=1.0), had significantly elevated TB4 in the setting of HFpEF. Adjusted for New York Heart Association class, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, age, and myocardial infarction, hazard ratio to all-cause mortality is significantly higher in women with elevated TB4 (1.668, P=0.036), but not in men (0.791, P=0.456) with HF. TB4 is strongly correlated with a cluster of 7 markers from the proximity extension assay panel, which are either X-linked, regulated by sex hormones, or involved with NF-κB signaling. CONCLUSIONS: We show that plasma TB4 is elevated in women with HFpEF and has prognostic information. Because TB4 can preserve EF in animal studies of cardiac injury, the relation of endogenous, circulating TB4 to X chromosome biology and differential outcomes in female heart disease warrants further study.

Growth differentiation factor-15 and white matter hyperintensities in cognitive impairment and dementia.

Vascular pathology plays an important role in the development of cognitive decline and dementia. In this context, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has been suggested to be a biomarker due to its regulatory roles in inflammatory and trophic responses during tissue injury. However, limited data exist on the associations of GDF-15 with either cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) burden or the spectrum of cognitive impairment. Therefore, we aimed to study peripheral levels of GDF-15 incognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) or Alzheimer disease (AD) subjects assessed for CeVD using a case-control cohort design, with cases recruited from memory clinics and controls from memory clinics and the community. All subjects underwent detailed neuropsychological assessment, 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging, and venous blood draw. Subjects were classified as CIND or AD based on clinical criteria, while significant CeVD was defined as the presence of cortical infarcts and/or 2 lacunes or more, and/or confluent white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in 2 or more brain regions. A total of 324 subjects were included in the study, of whom 80 had no cognitive impairment, 144 CIND and 100with AD. Higher GDF-15 levels were significantly associated with disease groups, especially in the presence of CeVD, namely, CIND with CeVD (odds ratios [OR]: 7.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.14-24.27) and AD with CeVD (OR: 21.87; 95% CI: 2.01-237.43). Among the different CeVD markers, only WMH was associated with higher GDF-15 levels (OR: 3.97; 95% CI: 1.79-8.83). The associations between GDF-15 and cognitive impairment as well as with WMH remained significant after excluding subjects with cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, we showed that increased GDF-15 may be a biomarker for CIND and AD in subjects with WMH.

High-Sensitivity Sandwich ELISA for Plasma NT-proUcn2: Plasma Concentrations and Relationship to Mortality in Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) has powerful hemodynamic, renal, and neurohormonal actions and likely participates in normal circulatory homeostasis and the compensatory response to heart failure (HF). A validated assay for endogenous circulating Ucn2 would facilitate investigations into Ucn2 physiology and elucidate its derangement and potential as a biomarker in heart disease. METHOD: We developed a chemiluminescence-based sandwich ELISA to measure plasma N-terminal (NT)-proUcn2 in non-HF patients (control; n = 160) and HF patients with reduced (HFREF; n = 134) and preserved (HFPEF; n = 121) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). RESULTS: The ELISA had a limit of detection of 8.47 ng/L (1.52 pmol/L) and working range of 23.8-572 ng/L. Intra- and interassay CV and total error were 4.8, 16.2, and 17.7%, respectively. The median (interquartile range) plasma NT-proUcn2 concentration in controls was 112 (86-132) ng/L. HFREF, HFPEF, and all HF plasma concentrations were significantly increased [117 (98-141) ng/L, P = 0.0007; 119 (93-136) ng/L, P = 0.0376, and 119 (97-140) ng/L, P = 0.001] compared with controls but did not differ significantly between HFREF and HFPEF. NT-proUcn2 was modestly related to age (r = 0.264, P = 0.001) and cardiac troponin T (r = 0.258, P = 0.001) but not N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, body mass index, LVEF, or estimated glomerular filtration rate. On multivariate analysis, plasma NT-proUcn2 was independently and inversely related to 2-year mortality in HF. CONCLUSIONS: The validated ELISA measured human NT-proUcn2 in plasma and showed modest but significant increases in HF patients compared with controls. In HF, the unusual inverse relationship between plasma NT-proUcn2 and 2-year mortality portends potential prognostic value but requires further corroboration.

Growth differentiation factor 15 in heart failure with preserved vs. reduced ejection fraction.

AIM: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a cytokine highly expressed in states of inflammatory stress. We aimed to study the clinical correlates and prognostic significance of plasma GDF15 in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) vs. reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF), compared with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), an indicator of haemodynamic wall stress. METHODS: Plasma GDF15 and NT-proBNP were prospectively measured in 916 consecutive patients with HFrEF (EF <50%; n = 730) and HFpEF (EF ≥50%; n = 186), and measured again at 6 months in 488 patients. Patients were followed up for a composite outcome of death or first HF rehospitalization. RESULTS: Median GDF15baseline values were similarly elevated in HFpEF [2862 (1812 represent the 25th percentile and 4176 represent the 75th percentile) ng/L] and HFrEF [2517 (1555, 4030) ng/L] (P = 0.184), whereas NT-proBNP was significantly lower in HFpEF than HFrEF (1119 ng/L vs. 2335 ng/L, P < 0.001). Independent correlates of GDF15baseline were age, systolic blood pressure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, sodium, haemoglobin, creatinine, diuretic therapy, high sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) and NT-proBNP (all P < 0.05). During a median follow-up of 23 months, there were 379 events (307 HFrEF, 72 HFpEF). GDF15 remained a significant independent predictor for composite outcome even after adjusting for important clinical predictors including hsTnT and NT-proBNP (adjusted hazard ratio 1.76 per 1 Ln U, 95% confidence interval 1.39-2.21; P < 0.001), regardless of HF group (Pinteraction = 0.275). GDF15baseline provided incremental prognostic value when added to clinical predictors, hsTnT and NT-proBNP (area under receiver operating characteristic curve increased from 0.720 to 0.740, P < 0.019), with a net reclassification improvement of 0.183 (P = 0.004). Patients with ≥20% GDF156months increase had higher risk for composite outcome (adjusted hazard ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.15-2.45; P = 0.007) compared with those with GDF156months within ± 20% of baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The similarly elevated levels and independent prognostic utility of GDF15 in HFrEF and HFpEF suggest that beyond haemodynamic stress (NT-proBNP), inflammatory injury (GDF15) may play an important role in both HF syndromes.

Natriuretic peptide receptor 3 (NPR3) is regulated by microRNA-100.

Natriuretic peptide receptor 3 (NPR3) is the clearance receptor for the cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs). By modulating the level of NPs, NPR3 plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis. Although the physiological functions of NPR3 have been explored, little is known about its regulation in health or disease. MicroRNAs play an essential role in the post-transcriptional expression of many genes. Our aim was to investigate potential microRNA-based regulation of NPR3 in multiple models. Hypoxic challenge elevated levels of NPPB and ADM mRNA, as well as NT-proBNP and MR-proADM in human left ventricle derived cardiac cells (HCMa), and in the corresponding conditioned medium, as revealed by qRT-PCR and ELISA. NPR3 was decreased while NPR1 was increased by hypoxia at mRNA and protein levels in HCMa. Down-regulation of NPR3 mRNA was also observed in infarct and peri-infarct cardiac tissue from rats undergoing myocardial infarction. From microRNA microarray analyses and microRNA target predictive databases, miR-100 was selected as a candidate regulator of NPR3 expression. Further analyses confirmed up-regulation of miR-100 in hypoxic cells and associated conditioned media. Antagomir-based silencing of miR-100 enhanced NPR3 expression in HCMa. Furthermore, miR-100 levels were markedly up-regulated in rat hearts and in peripheral blood after myocardial infarction and in the blood from heart failure patients. Results from this study point to a role for miR-100 in the regulation of NPR3 expression, and suggest a possible therapeutic target for modulation of NP bioactivity in heart disease.

Markers of cardiac dysfunction in cognitive impairment and dementia.

Markers of cardiac dysfunction such as amino terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTpro-BNP) and high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) may be associated with dementia. However, limited data exist on their association with either pre-dementia stages, that is, cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND), or the burden of cerebrovascular diseases (CeVD).We therefore, examined the association of these biomarkers of cardiac dysfunction with CeVD in both CIND and dementia.A case-control study, with cases recruited from memory clinics and controls from memory clinics and community. All subjects underwent collection of blood samples, neuropsychological assessment, and neuroimaging. Subjects were classified as CIND and dementia based on clinical criteria whilst significant CeVD was defined as the presence of cortical infarcts and/or more than 2 lacunes and/or confluent white matter lesions in two regions of brain on Age-Related White Matter Changes Scale.We included a total of 35 controls (mean age: 65.9 years), 78 CIND (mean age: 70.2 years) and 80 cases with dementia (mean age: 75.6 years). Plasma concentrations of hs-cTnT were associated significantly with CeVD in both CIND (odds ratios [OR]: 9.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.64-49.79) and dementia (OR: 16.89; 95%CI: 2.02-142.67). In addition, NTpro-BNP was associated with dementia with CeVD (OR: 7.74; 95%CI: 1.23-48.58). These associations were independent of other vascular risk factors.In this study, we showed that plasma NTproBNP and hs-cTnT are associated with dementia and CIND, only when accompanied by presence of CeVD.

Circulating microRNAs in heart failure with reduced and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

AIM: The potential diagnostic utility of circulating microRNAs in heart failure (HF) or in distinguishing HF with reduced vs. preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFREF and HFPEF, respectively) is unclear. We sought to identify microRNAs suitable for diagnosis of HF and for distinguishing both HFREF and HFPEF from non-HF controls and HFREF from HFPEF. METHODS AND RESULTS: MicroRNA profiling performed on whole blood and corresponding plasma samples of 28 controls, 39 HFREF and 19 HFPEF identified 344 microRNAs to be dysregulated among the three groups. Further analysis using an independent cohort of 30 controls, 30 HFREF and 30 HFPEF, presented 12 microRNAs with diagnostic potential for one or both HF phenotypes. Of these, miR-1233, -183-3p, -190a, -193b-3p, -193b-5p, -211-5p, -494, and -671-5p distinguished HF from controls. Altered levels of miR-125a-5p, -183-3p, -193b-3p, -211-5p, -494, -638, and -671-5p were found in HFREF while levels of miR-1233, -183-3p, -190a, -193b-3p, -193b-5p, and -545-5p distinguished HFPEF from controls. Four microRNAs (miR-125a-5p, -190a, -550a-5p, and -638) distinguished HFREF from HFPEF. Selective microRNA panels showed stronger discriminative power than N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). In addition, individual or multiple microRNAs used in combination with NT-proBNP increased NT-proBNP's discriminative performance, achieving perfect intergroup distinction. Pathway analysis revealed that the altered microRNAs expression was associated with several mechanisms of potential significance in HF. CONCLUSIONS: We report specific microRNAs as potential biomarkers in distinguishing HF from non-HF controls and in differentiating between HFREF and HFPEF.