The Prognostic Role of Biomarkers in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Objective Investigate the role of biomarkers in the prognosis of the clinical course of the disease in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) of different NYHA functional classes (FC).
Material and Methods The study included 132 patients with CHF: Group 1 was composed of 70 patients with NYHA FC II CHF, and Group 2 included 62 patients with FC III-IV CHF. The patients underwent clinical, instrumental, functional, and laboratory measurements, which included serum concentrations of NT-proBNP, ST-2, galectin-3, and C-reactive protein. Patients were examined at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 mos of follow-up. The following cardiac complications were used as endpoints: urgent hospitalization due to decompensated CHF, heart transplantation, cardiovascular death. Endpoints were registered during the 12-mo follow-up period.
Results Endpoints were recorded for 58 patients (44%) of the total sample of patients with CHF: 38 patients were urgently hospitalized, 10 patients underwent heart transplantation, 10 patients died. Cardiac complications were recorded at a higher rate in patients with FC III-IV CHF (63% vs. 27% of patients with FC II; p<0.001). In FC II CHF patients, the incidence of cardiac complications was significantly correlated with NT-proBNP blood concentrations (Rpb=0.53; p=0.023), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) (Rpb=0.50; p=0.044), and mitral regurgitation (Rpb=0.53; p=0.038). Cardiac complications in patients with FC III-IV CHF were associated with ST-2 (Rpb=0.52; p=0.004) and galectin-3 (Rpb=0.46; p=0.009) blood concentrations, and with systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) (Rpb=0.41; p=0.014). Unlike other laboratory measurements, galectin-3 concentrations were significantly correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) (Rpb=0.40; p=0.003). In this study, correlation analysis and evidence of significant differences in the concentrations of biomarkers provided a rationale for identifying potential predictors of severe cardiac complications during medium- and long-term follow-up periods in patients with CHF of different severity: NT-proBNP concentrations in FC II patients; ST-2 and galectin-3 serum concentrations in FC III-IV patients; galectin-3 concentrations in patients with CHF and DM2.
Conclusion NT-proBNP blood concentrations are associated with CHF severity and serious cardiac complications in patients with FC II CHF within the following 12 mos. The poor prognosis of FC III-IV CHF is associated with the concentration of the ST-2 biomarker. The blood concentration of galectin-3 is a significant predictor of poor prognosis in patients with CHF and DM2. Predictors of the adverse course of CHF of varying severity were differentiated. For FC II CHF, NT-proBNP > 1723 pg/ml or, if NT-proBNP < 1723 pg/mL, then EDV > 311 ml. For FC III-IV CHF, ST-2 > 67 ng/mL or, if ST-2 < 67 ng/mL, then PAP > 61 mm Hg. Galectin-3 has a prognostic value for the clinical course of the disease at different follow-up periods in patients with CHF and DM2: galectin-3 concentrations > 16 ng/mL and 13-16 ng/mL are risk factors for mid- and long-term cardiac complications, respectively.

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