Residual Gensini Score Is Associated With Long-Term Cardiac Mortality in Patients With Heart Failure After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: Coronary revascularization is important in heart failure (HF) with ischemic etiology. Coronary scoring systems are useful to evaluate coronary artery disease, but said systems for residual stenosis after revascularization are still poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to clarify the prognostic impact of residual stenosis using a coronary scoring system, Gensini score, in HF patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods and Results: We analyzed consecutive hospitalized ischemic HF patients (n=199) who underwent PCI. We calculated residual Gensini score after PCI, and divided the patients into 2 groups based on median residual Gensini score. The patients with high scores (≥10, n=101) had a higher prevalence of anemia, lower prevalence of dyslipidemia, and lower left ventricular ejection fraction, compared with those with low scores (<10, n=98). During the median follow-up period of 1,581 days (range, 20–2,896 days), the high-score patients had a higher cardiac mortality than the low-score group (log rank, P=0.001).

Conclusions: In patients with HF after PCI, residual Gensini score was associated with long-term cardiac mortality. Residual Gensini score may be a useful index for risk stratification of HF after PCI.

Recovered Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Its Prognostic Impacts in Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction

It has been recently recognized that recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), termed "recovered EF", occurs in a proportion of heart failure patients with reduced EF (HFrEF), and is associated with better prognosis. However, the clinical characteristics of "recovered EF" have not been fully examined.Consecutive 567 patients hospitalized due to HFrEF (EF < 40% at 1st assessment at hospital discharge) were enrolled, and EF was re-assessed within half a year in an outpatient setting (2nd assessment). Among these HFrEF patients, 235 remained EF < 40% (reduced, rEF group), 82 changed to EF 40-49% (midrange, mrEF group), and 250 recovered to EF > 50% (preserved, pEF group "recovered EF" ) at the 2nd examination. Age was lower and body mass index and systolic blood pressure were higher in pEF than in rEF. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and usage of an implantable cardiac defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy were highest in pEF. Left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVDd) was the smallest in the pEF group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age, presence of AF, and lower levels of LVDd were predictors of "recovered EF". Kaplan-Meier analysis found that pEF presented the lowest cardiac event rate (P = 0.003) and all-cause mortality (P = 0.001). In multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses, pEF (versus rEF) was an independent predictor of both cardiac event rate (HR = 0.668, 95%CI 0.450-0.994, P = 0.046) and all-cause mortality (HR = 0.655, 95%CI 0.459-0.934, P = 0.019).Hospitalized HFrEF patients with recovered EF are associated with younger age, higher presence of AF, and better prognosis.

Pulmonary Hypertension and Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia Related to an ACVRL1 Mutation

Pulmonary hypertension and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) have an association mediated by activin A receptor type II-like 1 (ACVRL1) gene pathogenic variants. A 30-year-old woman was previously admitted to a hospital due to lung hemorrhage, and was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, but stopped follow-up visits. At 48 years of age, she was admitted to our hospital and was diagnosed with HHT. Genetic testing revealed an ACVRL1 pathogenic variant. After the initiation of pulmonary vasodilator treatment, the patient's mean pulmonary artery pressure started to decrease from 43 mmHg, declining to 37 mmHg when she was 58 years of age. This is the first report describing the 28-year follow-up of an HHT and pulmonary hypertension patient with an ACVRL1 mutation.

Case reports of a c.475G>T, p.E159* lamin A/C mutation with a family history of conduction disorder, dilated cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death

Background

Patients with some mutations in the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene are characterized by the presence of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), conduction abnormalities, ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT), and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Various clinical features have been observed among patients who have the same LMNA mutation. Here, we show a family with cardiac laminopathy with a c.475G > T, p.E159* LMNA mutation, and a family history of conduction disorder, DCM, VT, and SCD.

Case presentation

A proband (female) with atrial fibrillation and bradycardia was implanted with a pacemaker in her fifties. Twenty years later, she experienced a loss of consciousness due to polymorphic VT. She had a serious family history; her mother and elder sister died suddenly in their fifties and sixties, respectively, and her nephew and son were diagnosed as having DCM. Genetic screening of the proband, her son, and nephew identified a nonsense mutation (c.475G > T, p.E159*) in the LMNA gene. Although the proband’s left ventricular ejection fraction remained relatively preserved, her son and nephew’s left ventricular ejection fraction were reduced, resulting in cardiac resynchronization therapy by implantation of a defibrillator.

Conclusions

In this family with cardiac laminopathy with a c.475G > T, p.E159* LMNA mutation, DCM, SCD, and malignant VT occurred. Clinical manifestation of various atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction occurred in an age-dependent manner in all family members who had the nonsense mutation. It appears highly likely that the E159* LMNA mutation is related to various cardiac problems in the family of the current report.

Senescence Marker Protein 30 Deficiency Exacerbates Pulmonary Hypertension in Hypoxia-Exposed Mice

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a fatal disease caused by pulmonary arterial vasoconstriction and organic stenosis due to the proliferation of pulmonary smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. Endothelial dysfunction, including impaired nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is an important modulator of pulmonary vasodilatation. Although senescence marker protein (SMP) 30 is known as an anti-aging protein, the role of SMP30 in pulmonary vessels is still unclear. In this study, we examined the role of SMP30 in pulmonary vasculature using SMP30-deficient mice.We used female SMP30-deficient mice and wild-type littermate (WT) mice at the age of 12 to 18 weeks. The WT and SMP30-deficient mice were exposed to normoxia or hypoxia (10% oxygen for 4 weeks). In normoxia, the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) was not different between the WT and SMP30-deficient mice, but in hypoxia, the RVSP was significantly higher in the SMP30-deficient mice compared to the WT mice (P < 0.05). The hypoxia-induced increases in right ventricular hypertrophy and medial smooth muscle area of the pulmonary artery were comparable between the WT and the SMP30-deficient mice. Western blotting showed that eNOS phosphorylation in lung tissue was reduced in the SMP30-deficient mice compared to the WT mice in normoxia. However, in hypoxic conditions, eNOS phosphorylation was reduced in both the WT and SMP30-deficient mice with no differences in Akt phosphorylation.Our study demonstrated that SMP30 is involved in the development of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension by impairment of eNOS activity.

Circulating acetoacetate is associated with poor prognosis in heart failure patients

Background

Acetoacetate is used as an alternative energy source in the heart, and has the potential to improve cardiac function. However, the prognostic impact of acetoacetate has not been investigated in heart failure.

Methods

This study enrolled consecutive 615 hospitalized patients with heart failure. We investigated the associations between circulating acetoacetate and clinical characteristics or prognosis in HF patients.

Results

We divided the patients into two groups based on circulating acetoacetate levels (high group: acetoacetate ≥35 µmoL/L, n = 313; and low group: acetoacetate <35 µmoL/L, n = 302). The high group had an older age (68 vs. 65 years, P = 0.003) and higher log brain natriuretic peptide levels (2.43 vs. 2.23, P < 0.001) compared with the low group. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the prevalence of co-morbidities, including diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and anemia, between the two groups. During the median follow-up period of 328 days, 66 all-cause deaths occurred. The high group had a worse prognosis compared with the low group (Log rank, P = 0.041). In the Cox proportional hazard analysis, circulating acetoacetate levels (per 10 µmoL/L increase) were associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.020, 95% confidence interval 1.010–1.030, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Circulating acetoacetate is associated with all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. These results provide new insights into the role of alternative cardiac metabolism in heart failure patients, and raise the possibility of acetoacetate as a novel biomarker to predict the prognosis of heart failure patients.

Prognostic Impact of Restless Legs Syndrome on Patients with Heart Failure

The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move the legs or arms for relief of uncomfortable or unpleasant sensations. Prevalence and prognostic impact of RLS on patients with heart failure (HF) remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic impact of RLS on HF patients.Consecutive 338 HF patients were evaluated for RLS and divided into two groups on the basis of presence of RLS: HF patients with RLS (RLS group, n = 29) and HF patients without RLS (non-RLS group, n = 309). We compared clinical characteristics, parameters of laboratory data and echocardiography, and rate of follow-up cardiac events including worsening HF and cardiac death between the two groups. Compared with the non-RLS group, the RLS group had higher prevalence of anemia (65.5% versus 40.8%, P = 0.010), higher usage of inotropic agents (31.0% versus 15.2%, P = 0.028), higher levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (570.8 versus 215.8 pg/mL, P = 0.018), and lower levels of left ventricular ejection fraction (40.4% versus 48.4%, P = 0.019). By contrast, age, gender, prevalence of other co-morbidities and medications were comparable between the groups. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the cardiac event rate was significantly higher in the RLS group than in the non-RLS group (log-rank P = 0.034). In the Cox proportional hazard analysis, RLS was a predictor for cardiac events in HF patients (hazard ratio: 1.783, 95% confidence interval: 1.038-3.063).RLS is associated with adverse prognosis in HF patients.

The Fibrosis-4 Index Is Useful for Predicting Mortality in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension due to Left Heart Disease

Heart failure causes increased venous pressure, leading to liver dysfunction. The fibrosis-4 index is a simple index for liver fibrosis and has been reported to be useful for predicting prognosis in heart failure; however, its impact on patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD) has not yet been fully elucidated.We enrolled consecutive 230 hospitalized patients who had been diagnosed as having PH-LHD. The fibrosis-4 index was calculated as follows: [aspartate transaminase (U/L) × age]/[alanine transaminase ^1/2 (U/L) × platelet count (10⁹/L) ]. We followed patients for all-cause mortality during the follow-up period (mean 1112 ± 822 days).The patients were divided into tertiles based on their fibrosis-4 index: the first tertile 0.335 to 1.381; the second tertile 1.391 to 2.311; and the third tertile 2.323 to 14.339. Compared with the first tertile, the third tertile had lower estimated glomerular filtration rates and hemoglobin levels. All-cause mortality was significantly higher in the third than in the first tertile. In a Cox proportional hazard model, the fibrosis-4 index was a predictor of all-cause mortality in PH-LHD patients (HR 1.212, 95% CI 1.099-1.337, P < 0.001).The fibrosis-4 index is associated with kidney function, anemia, and high mortality in PH-LHD patients.

Electrocardiographic Criteria of Right Ventricular Hypertrophy in Patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension after Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty

Objective Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a progressive disease that leads to right-sided heart failure with electrocardiographic abnormalities. There are only a few reports about the effects of balloon pulmonary angioplasty for CTEPH on the electrocardiographic criteria of right ventricular hypertrophy. To determine the effect of balloon angioplasty on electrocardiography in patients with CTEPH. Methods We evaluated electrocardiograms in 19 patients (mean age, 64±10 years) who underwent balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Results We compared the hemodynamic parameters after balloon pulmonary angioplasty. The mean pulmonary artery pressure was decreased (p<0.001), and the cardiac index was increased (p=0.025) after balloon pulmonary angioplasty. The level of brain natriuretic peptide was decreased (p=0.001) after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (p<0.001). We applied 15 criteria for right ventricular hypertrophy to the patients, according to the American Heart Association recommendations of the electrocardiogram, after balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Among the criteria, the numbers of patients who met the criteria of deep S in V₆ (p=0.005) and max R in V_{1, 2}+max S in I, aV_L-S in V₁ (p=0.046) were significantly decreased after balloon pulmonary angioplasty. The mean numbers regarding the right ventricular hypertrophic criteria in each patient were significantly decreased after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (4.8±2.6 to 3.1±2.5, p=0.003). Conclusion In addition to improvement in hemodynamics, improvement in right ventricular hypertrophy was also observed using the electrocardiographic criteria in patients with CTEPH after balloon pulmonary angioplasty, suggesting that we should pay more attention to these changes.

Prior History and Incidence of Cancer Impacts on Cardiac Prognosis in Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) and cancer (CA) are becoming increasingly prevalent as the population ages. We aimed to evaluate prior history and occurrence of CA and its prognostic impact on HF.Methods and Results:Consecutive hospitalized HF patients (n=2,103) were divided into 2 groups according to prior history of CA: non-prior-CA group (n=1,828) and prior-CA group (n=275). Compared with the non-prior-CA group, the prior-CA group were older, and had higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease, anemia, and atrial fibrillation (P<0.05). In contrast, sex, other comorbidities, levels of natriuretic peptide and ejection fraction were comparable between groups. We focused on newly diagnosed CA after discharge for HF. In the follow-up period (median 623 days), 114 (6.2%) patients in the non-prior-CA and 17 (6.2%) patients in the prior-CA groups were newly diagnosed as having CA. Additionally, 83 (3.9%) CA-related patient deaths occurred (median 776 days). In the Kaplan-Meier analysis (median 1,037 days), not only all-cause death but also cardiac event rate was significantly higher in the prior-CA group than in the non-prior-CA group (log-rank P<0.01). In the Cox proportional hazard analysis, CA history was a predictor of cardiac event rate (HR 1.450, 95% CI 1.134-1.822), as well as all-cause death (HR 2.483, 95% CI 2.034-3.030).

CONCLUSIONS

Prior-CA history was associated with high cardiac event and mortality rates. CA is notable comorbidity in HF patients.

Soluble Neprilysin ― Cardiac Function and Outcome in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy ―

Background: Circulating soluble neprilysin (sNEP) predicts outcome in heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF), but not in those with preserved EF. We examined sNEP in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and their correlations with other biomarkers, cardiac function, and clinical outcome.

Methods and Results: We examined the associations between sNEP and the laboratory and echocardiography parameters in the HCM patients (n=93). Regarding the laboratory data, sNEP had a significant positive correlation with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP; R=0.326, P=0.003), but not with troponin I. As for the echocardiographic parameters, sNEP negatively correlated with left ventricular EF (R=−0.283, P=0.009) and right ventricular fractional area change (R=−0.277, P=0.012), but not with left ventricular mass. Next, we prospectively followed up on the patients for cardiac events, including worsening HF or cardiac death, and all-cause mortality. On Kaplan-Meier analysis (mean follow-up, 1,021 days), the cardiac event rate and all-cause mortality were similar between the higher sNEP group (sNEP ≥median level of 1.43 ng/mL, n=46) and lower sNEP group (sNEP <1.43 ng/mL, n=47). On Cox proportional hazard analysis, sNEP was not a predictor of cardiac event or all-cause mortality.

Conclusions: Soluble neprilysin appears to correlate with BNP and cardiac systolic function, but it is not significantly associated with prognosis in HCM patients.

Plasma levels of melatonin in dilated cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

Melatonin is a multifunctional indolamine and has a cardioprotective role in a variety of cardiovascular processes via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, and antilipemic effects. It has been reported that lower levels of circulating melatonin are significantly associated with a higher risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and later cardiac remodeling. However, levels of melatonin in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and associations between melatonin levels and cardiac function remain unclear.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We measured and compared plasma levels of melatonin in 61 control subjects, 81 AMI patients, and 77 DCM patients. Plasma levels of melatonin were progressively decreased from 71.9 pg/mL in the control group to 52.6 pg/mL in the DCM group and 21.9 pg/mL in the AMI group. Next, we examined associations of melatonin levels with parameters of laboratory data, echocardiography, and right-heart catheterization. In the DCM patients, circulating melatonin showed significant correlations with both high-sensitivity troponin T (R = -0.422, P < 0.001) and cardiac output (R = 0.431, P = 0.003), but not with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), pulmonary artery wedge pressure, or pulmonary artery pressure.

CONCLUSION

Patients with not only AMI but also DCM had lower circulating melatonin levels. Circulating melatonin levels appear to correlate with myocardial injury and cardiac output in DCM patients.

Soluble neprilysin does not correlate with prognosis in pulmonary hypertension

AIMS

It has been reported that circulating soluble neprilysin (sNEP), which catalyses the degradation of several vasodilator peptides such as natriuretic peptides, predicts prognosis in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. Hypoxia-induced decrease in NEP expression in lungs has been reported. However, the associations between sNEP and haemodynamic parameters, as well as the prognostic impact of sNEP in pulmonary hypertension (PH), remain unclear. We aimed to clarify the relationships between sNEP and natriuretic peptide, haemodynamics (e.g. parameters of echocardiography and right heart catheter) or prognosis in PH patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

First, we examined the associations between sNEP levels and natriuretic peptide, echocardiography, or right heart catheter in PH patients (mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥ 25 mmHg and pulmonary artery wedge pressure ≤ 15 mm Hg on the basis of right heart catheterization, n = 79). Next, we followed up the patients for all-cause mortality. Laboratory data revealed no significant correlations between sNEP and B-type natriuretic peptide (R = 0.022, P = 0.872), N-terminal proBNP (R = -0.018, P = 0.872), and high-sensitivity troponin I (R = 0.206, P = 0.107). Regarding the parameters of echocardiography and right heart catheter, there were no significant correlations between sNEP and left ventricular ejection fraction (R = -0.036, P = 0.764), right ventricular fractional area change (R = -0.259, P = 0.064), tricuspid valve pressure gradient (R = -0.037, P = 0.767), and any of the right heart catheter parameters. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis (mean follow-up, 1284 days, log-rank P = 0.531), all-cause mortality rates were comparable between the higher NEP group (sNEP ≥ median levels of 1.45 ng/mL, n = 39) and the lower NEP group (sNEP < 1.45 ng/mL, n = 40). In the Cox proportional hazard analysis, sNEP was not a predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.902, 95% CI 0.674-1.207, P = 0.487) in PH patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating sNEP does not correlate with natriuretic peptide, haemodynamic parameters, or prognosis in patients with PH.

Safety and effectiveness of transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects: Initial results in Fukushima Prefecture

BACKGROUND

Atrial septal defect is the third most common type of congenital heart disease. Surgical closure was the standard treatment for atrial septal defects before transcatheter closure was approved as minimally invasive treatment in Japan in 2006. In our hospital, this procedure has been performed since 2015.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects in our hospital.

METHODS

Thirty patients (mean age 57.0 ± 19.7 years, 11 males), who underwent transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect between September 2015 and February 2018 at the Fukushima Medical University Hospital, were enrolled. All procedures were performed under general anesthesia with angiographic and transesophageal echocardiographic guidance. Safety and effectiveness were evaluated by the procedural results and complications.

RESULTS

All 30 patients successfully underwent transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects and no patient developed complications. New York Heart Association functional class was improved, and the right ventricular area and right atrium area were decreased, postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Transcatheter closure is a safe and effective treatment for atrial septal defects, and thus could be an alternative option to open heart surgery.

Associations between diabetes mellitus and pulmonary hypertension in chronic respiratory disease patients

Background

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of chronic respiratory disease. Recent studies have reported diabetes mellitus (DM) to be a poor prognostic factor in patients with chronic respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or interstitial pneumoniae. However, the association between DM and PH in chronic respiratory disease remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether DM is a predictor of PH in patients with chronic respiratory disease.

Methods

We prospectively analyzed 386 patients in our hospital with chronic respiratory disease. An echocardiographic pressure gradient between the right atrium and the right ventricle of ≥ 40 mmHg was defined as PH. We compared the clinical characteristics and impact of DM between chronic respiratory disease patients with and those without PH.

Results

Of the 386 patients, 42 (10.9%) were diagnosed as having PH. The PH group had higher modified medical research council (mMRC) grade and complication rate of DM, but not hypertension and hyperlipidemia, when compared to the non-PH group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that mMRC scale (odds ratio 1.702, 95% confidence interval, 1.297 to 2.232, P < 0.001) and presence of DM (odd ratio 2.935, 95% confidence interval, 1.505 to 5.725, P = 0.002) were associated with PH in chronic respiratory disease patients.

Conclusion

DM is potentially associated with PH and is an independent factor for prediction of PH in patients with chronic respiratory disease.

Decrease in exhaled hydrogen as marker of congestive heart failure

Objective

Hydrogen excretion is thought to be related to systemic antioxidation activity. H₂ selectively reduces the hydroxyl radical of free hydrogen (·OH), a highly cytotoxic form of reactive oxygen species, in cultured cells.

Methods

We investigated whether exhaled H₂ decreased during night sleep, reflected ·OH production and was associated with heart failure severity. We enrolled 108 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and 15 control participants without CHF. H₂ concentration was measured by gas chromatography in exhaled breath collected before sleep and in the morning after overnight fasting. Overnight change in H₂ concentration (ΔH₂) was calculated. Mitochondrial morphology evaluated by transmission electron microscopy in endomyocardial biopsies collected from 18 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Results

ΔH₂ was significantly lower in patients with CHF compared with controls (−4.3±1.0 vs 2.0±2.1 ppm, p=0.030) and was positively correlated with cardiac index (CI; r = −0.285, p=0.003). Patients with a ΔH₂<0 ppm had a significantly lower CI compared with those who had a ΔH₂>0 ppm (2.85±0.61 vs 3.24±0.65 L/min/m², p=0.005). ΔH₂ was negatively correlated with both the percentage of vacuole-containing mitochondria and indices of cristae remodelling (r = −0.61, p=0.007).

Conclusions

Decrease in exhaled H₂ during night sleep was associated with CHF severity. ΔH₂ warrants investigation as marker of CHF severity.

A Multiple Biomarker Approach in Patients with Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease including heart (cardiac sarcoidosis, CS). It has recently been reported that isolated CS, which presenting primarily cardiac symptoms without clinical evidence of sarcoid involvement in other organs. Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of CS, especially in isolated CS, have not yet been established.We studied plasma levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in consecutive 172 patients with diagnosed sarcoidosis. We compared these markers between non-cardiac sarcoidosis (non-CS, n = 123, 71.5%) and CS patients (n = 49, 28.5%), including non-isolated CS (n = 30, 17.4%) and isolated CS (n = 19, 11.1%). ROC analysis revealed that BNP identified CS with AUC of 0.85 (P < 0.01) in sarcoidosis patients. In addition, ACE and sIL-2R levels were significantly higher in non-isolated CS than in isolated CS (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in the Cox proportional hazard analysis, cTnI, but not ACE, IL2R or BNP, was a predictor of fatal arrhythmia in sarcoidosis patients (HR 2.418, P = 0.003).Higher ACE and sIL2-R are associated with systemic lesions, whereas BNP is a useful marker for detecting cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis patients. cTnI is a predictor of fatal arrhythmia in CS patients. A multiple biomarker approach supports comprehensive management of sarcoidosis.