Cardiometabolic biomarkers are predictors of readmission and death in patients hospitalized for acute dyspnea

Serum Prolactin Levels and Mortality in Adults Without Prolactinoma: A Meta-Analysis

CONTEXT

Prolactin (PRL) is a highly versatile, multifunctional hormone synthesized and secreted by lactotroph cells of the anterior pituitary. Its metabolic role has been extensively studied even in normoprolactinemic populations. Recently, a wealth of observational data have outlined the potential prognostic value of PRL in various clinical settings.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aims to systematically evaluate and quantitatively synthesize the association between serum PRL levels and risk of mortality in adults without prolactinoma.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted up to June 10, 2023, to identify studies reporting the association of serum PRL levels with clinical outcomes of adults without prolactinoma. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the adjusted hazard ratios [(a)HRs] for all-cause and cardiovascular death (CVD) during follow-up.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight studies were deemed eligible reporting the outcomes of adults without prolactinoma, in whom serum PRL levels were measured for risk-stratification. Fourteen studies reported appropriate data for meta-analysis encompassing a total of 23 596 individuals. Each unit of PRL increase was independently associated with increased risk of all-cause (pooled aHR = 1.17 [1.08-1.27]; I2 = 48%) and CV mortality (pooled aHR = 1.54 [1.14-2.09]; I2 = 89%). Individuals belonging to the highest PRL category had significantly higher risk for all-cause (pooled aHR = 1.81 [1.43-2.30]; I2 = 65%) and CV (pooled aHR = 1.59 [1.04-2.42]; I2 = 82%) mortality compared to their lowest-PRL category counterparts. The association between PRL levels and in-hospital death did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSION

PRL levels seem to be an independent predictor for mortality. Further validation is warranted before its role as a risk-stratification tool can be delineated in clinical practice.

Readmission following both cardiac and non-cardiac acute dyspnoea is associated with a striking risk of death

Aims

Readmission and mortality are the most common and often combined endpoints in acute heart failure (AHF) trials, but an association between these two outcomes is poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether unplanned readmission is associated with a greater subsequent risk of death in patients with acute dyspnoea due to cardiac and non‐cardiac causes.

Methods and results

Derivation cohort (1371 patients from the LEDA study) and validation cohort (1986 patients from the BASEL V study) included acute dyspnoea patients admitted to the emergency department. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the association of 6 month readmission and the risk of 1 year all‐cause mortality in AHF and non‐AHF patients and those readmitted due to cardiovascular and non‐cardiovascular causes. In the derivation cohort, 666 (49%) of patients were readmitted at 6 months and 282 (21%) died within 1 year. Six month readmission was associated with an increased 1 year mortality risk in both the derivation cohort [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 3.0 (95% confidence interval, CI 2.2–4.0), P < 0.001] and the validation cohort (aHR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4–2.2, P < 0.001). The significant association was similarly observed in AHF (aHR 3.2, 95% CI 2.1–4.9, P < 0.001) and other causes of acute dyspnoea (aHR 2.9, 95% CI 1.9–4.5, P < 0.001), and it did not depend on the aetiology [aHR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6–3.1 for cardiovascular readmissions; aHR 4.1, 95% CI 2.9–5.7 for non‐cardiovascular readmissions (P < 0.001 for both)] or timing of readmission.

Conclusion​s

Our study demonstrated a long‐lasting detrimental association between readmission and death in AHF and non‐AHF patients with acute dyspnoea. These patients should be considered ‘vulnerable patients’ that require personalized follow‐up for an extended period.

Granulocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Activate Monocytes and Are Associated With Mortality in Intensive Care Unit Patients

To understand how extracellular vesicle (EV) subtypes differentially activate monocytes, a series of in vitro studies were performed. We found that plasma-EVs biased monocytes toward an M1 profile. Culturing monocytes with granulocyte-, monocyte-, and endothelial-EVs induced several pro-inflammatory cytokines. By contrast, platelet-EVs induced TGF-β and GM-CSF, and red blood cell (RBC)-EVs did not activate monocytes in vitro. The scavenger receptor CD36 was important for binding of RBC-EVs to monocytes, while blockade of CD36, CD163, CD206, TLR1, TLR2, and TLR4 did not affect binding of plasma-EVs to monocytes in vitro. To identify mortality risk factors, multiple soluble factors and EV subtypes were measured in patients' plasma at intensive care unit admission. Of 43 coagulation factors and cytokines measured, two were significantly associated with mortality, tissue plasminogen activator and cystatin C. Of 14 cellular markers quantified on EVs, 4 were early predictors of mortality, including the granulocyte marker CD66b. In conclusion, granulocyte-EVs have potent pro-inflammatory effects on monocytes in vitro. Furthermore, correlation of early granulocyte-EV levels with mortality in critically ill patients provides a potential target for intervention in management of the pro-inflammatory cascade associated with critical illness.

Arterial pH selectively predicts critical care needs in emergency department obese patients with acute dyspnea: A prospective comparative study

INTRODUCTION

Obese patients with acute dyspnea may be prone to misorientation from the emergency department (ED), due to impaired gas exchange evaluation and altered basal respiratory profiles. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of arterial blood pH in obese ED patients with acute dyspnea in comparison to non-obese counterparts.

METHODS

Single-center observational study of a cohort of 400 consecutive ED patients with acute dyspnea. The primary endpoint was a composite of Intensive Care Unit admission (with critical care needs) or in ED mortality. Predictors of the primary endpoint were assessed using multivariable logistic regression and ROC curve analysis, in obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg·m^-2) and non-obese patients.

RESULTS

252 patients who had arterial blood gas testing were analyzed including 76 (30%) obese comparable to non-obese in terms of clinical history. 51 patients were admitted to ICU and 2 deceased before admission (20 obese (26%) vs 33 non-obese (19%); p = 0.17). Factors associated with ICU admission were arterial blood pH (pH < 7.36 vs pH ≥ 7.36) and gender. In multivariate models adjusted for risk factors, pH remained the sole independent predictor in obese patients, with no predictive value in non-obese patients (ROC AUC: 0.74, 95% CI [0.60; 0.87], optimal threshold for pH: 7.36, odds ratio: 10.5 [95% CI 3.18; 34.68]).

CONCLUSION

Arterial blood pH may selectively predict critical care needs in ED obese patients with acute dyspnea, in comparison to non-obese. A falsely reassuring pH < 7.36 should be regarded as a marker of severity when assessing acute dyspnea in obese ED patients.