Serum Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein A in Patients With Heart Failure

Brain natriuretic peptide in acute heart failure and its association with glomerular filtration rate: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acute heart failure (AHF) is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. Early diagnosis and prognosis are essential, as they can eventually lead to a fatal condition. Recently, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been recognized as one of the most popular biomarkers for AHF. Changes in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are often observed in AHF.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect between March and June 2023. Original case control studies written in English that assessed levels oh BNP in AHF were included. Systematic reviews, letters to editor, correspondence, comprehensive reviews, and duplicated studies were excluded. Funnel plots were constructed to assess publication bias.

RESULTS

A total of 9 studies were selected and we obtained the mean difference (MD) of BNP level to be 2.57 (95% CI: 1.35, 3.78), and GFR to be -15.52, (95% CI: -23.35, -7.70) in AHF patients. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the outcome.

CONCLUSION

Results indicated that BNP was a promising prognostic biomarker of AHF, whereas GFR was found to be negatively correlated with AHF.

Cardiac biomarkers as indicators of right ventricular dysfunction and recovery in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients after balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy - a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging cohort study

Background

In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure determines outcome. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy allows right heart recovery, which can be monitored by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. This study evaluates whether cardiac biomarkers (NT-proBNP, MR-proANP, sST2, and PAPP-A) are associated with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings prior to and after balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy.

Methods

This observational cohort study enrolled 22 chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients who underwent balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy and completed a six-month follow-up including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Biomarker levels were compared with findings for right heart morphology and function derived from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Pulmonary hemodynamics improved after balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy [pulmonary vascular resistance: 7.7 (6.0–9.0) vs. 4.7 (3.5–5.5) wood units, p < 0.001; mean pulmonary artery pressure 41 (38–47) vs. 32 (28–37) mmHg, p < 0.001]. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings indicated right heart maladaptation at baseline and recovery after therapy [right ventricular end-diastolic volume 192 (141–229) ml vs. 143 (128–172) ml, p = 0.002; right ventricular end-systolic volume 131 (73–157) ml vs. 77 (61–99) ml (p < 0.001); right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) 34 (28–41) % vs. 52 (41–54) %; p < 0.001]. Biomarker level cut-offs [NT-proBNP 347 ng/L (area under the curve (AUC) 0.91), MR-proANP 230 pg/L (AUC 0.78), PAPP-A 14.5 mU/L (AUC 0.81), and sST2 48.0 ng/ml (AUC 0.88)] indicated a RVEF ≤ 35% at baseline. The dynamics of NT-proBNP (rs = −0.79; p < 0.001), MR-proANP (rs = –0.80; p < 0.001), and sST2 (rs = –0.49; p = 0.02) correlated inversely with the improvement in RVEF after therapy. A relative decrease of NT-proBNP < 53% (AUC 0.86) and MR-proANP < 24% (AUC 0.82) indicated a limited RVEF response.

Conclusions

In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings illustrate right heart failure and recovery after balloon pulmonary angioplasty therapy. Cardiac biomarker levels correlate with right heart parameters at baseline and their dynamics after therapy.

Multi-biomarker strategy for prediction of myocardial dysfunction and mortality in sepsis

OBJECTIVE

The present study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the multi-biomarker strategy for the prediction of sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD) and mortality in septic patients.

METHODS

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) in 147 septic patients were assayed within 6 h after admission. We also determined the plasma levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the best cutoff values of various single-biomarkers for the diagnosis of SIMD and the prediction of mortality. Also, the ROC curve, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) indices were used to evaluate the feasibility of using multi-biomarkers to predict SIMD and mortality.

RESULTS

Our statistics revealed that only h-FABP independently predicted SIMD (P<0.05). The addition of MPO and cTnI to h-FABP for SIMD prediction provided an NRI of 18.7% (P=0.025) and IDI of 3.3% (P=0.033). However, the addition of MPO or cTnI to h-FABP did not significantly improve the predictive ability of h-FABP to SIMD, as evidenced by the area under the curve (AUC), NRI, and IDI (all P>0.05). A history of shock and MPO were independent predictors of mortality in septic patients (both P<0.05). The addition of PAPP-A and h-FABP to MPO resulted in a mortality prediction with NRI of 25.5% (P=0.013) and IDI of 2.9% (P=0.045). However, this study revealed that the addition of h-FABP or PAPP-A to MPO did not significantly improve the ability to predict mortality, as evidenced by the AUC, NRI, and IDI (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study indicate that a sensitive and specific strategy for early diagnosis of SIMD and mortality prediction in sepsis should incorporate three biomarkers.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A - a new indicator of pulmonary vascular remodeling in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension?

Background

In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) impaired pulmonary hemodynamics lead to right heart failure. Natriuretic peptides reflect hemodynamic disease severity. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) might address another aspect of CTEPH - chronic tissue injury and inflammation. This study assessed dynamics of PAPP-A in CTEPH patients who undergo therapy with pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) or balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA).

Methods

The study included a total of 125 CTEPH patients scheduled for treatment (55 PEA/ 70 BPA) and a control group of 58 patients with pulmonary hypertension other than CTEPH. Biomarker measurement was performed at baseline and follow-up in the CTEPH cohort, prior to each BPA in the BPA cohort and once in the control group.

Results

The median PAPP-A level was slightly higher (p = 0.05) in CTEPH patients [13.8 (11.0–18.6) mU/L], than in the control group [12.6 (8.6–16.5) mU/L], without a difference between the BPA and PEA group (p = 0.437) and without a correlation to mean pulmonary artery pressure (p = 0.188), pulmonary vascular resistance (p = 0.893), cardiac index (p = 0.821) and right atrial pressure (p = 0.596). PEA and BPA therapy decreased the mean pulmonary artery pressure (p < 0.001) and pulmonary vascular resistance (p < 0.001) and improved the WHO-functional-class (baseline: I:0/II:25/III:80/IV:20 vs. follow-up: I:55/II:58/III:10/IV:2). PAPP-A levels decreased after PEA [13.5 (9.5–17.5) vs. 11.3 (9.8–13.6) mU/L; p = 0.003) and BPA treatment [14.3 (11.2–18.9) vs. 11.1 (9.7–13.3) mU/L; p < 0.001). The decrease of PAPP-A levels is delayed in comparison to N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide.

Conclusion

PAPP-A is overexpressed in CTEPH and decrease significantly after surgical or interventional therapy, however without association to hemodynamics. Further investigation is needed to define the underlying mechanism of PAPP-A expression and changes after therapy in CTEPH.

CT-IGFBP-4 as a novel prognostic biomarker in acute heart failure

Aims

Insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐4 (IGFBP‐4) fragments have been shown to predict the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including segment‐elevation myocardial infarction, in patients with acute coronary syndrome. We evaluated the prognostic value of the carboxy‐terminal fragment of IGFBP‐4 (CT‐IGFBP‐4) for all‐cause mortality in emergency room patients with acute heart failure (AHF).

Methods and results

CT‐IGFBP‐4, N‐terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were measured at admission from the lithium‐heparin plasma of 156 patients with AHF. All‐cause mortality was recorded for 1 year. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan–Meier, and Cox proportional hazard ratio analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the various clinical variables, CT‐IGFBP‐4, NT‐proBNP, CRP, and their combinations. During 1 year of follow‐up, 52 (33.3%) patients died. CT‐IGFBP‐4 only weakly correlated with NT‐proBNP (Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.16, P = 0.044) and did not correlate with CRP (r = 0.08, P = 0.35), emphasizing the different nature of these biomarkers. The receiver operator characteristic area under the curve (ROC AUC) of CT‐IGFBP‐4 for the prediction of all‐cause mortality (0.727) was significantly higher than that of NT‐proBNP (0.680, P = 0.045) and CRP (0.669, P = 0.016). The combination of CT‐IGFBP‐4, NT‐proBNP, and CRP predicted mortality significantly better (ROC AUC = 0.788) than any of the biomarkers alone (P < 0.01 for all). The addition of CT‐IGFBP‐4 to a clinical prediction model that included age, gender, systolic blood pressure, creatinine, and sodium levels, as well as the history of previous heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension significantly improved the mortality risk prediction (ROC AUC 0.774 vs. 0.699, P = 0.025). Cox hazard analysis indicated that elevated CT‐IGFBP‐4 was independently associated with 1 year mortality (hazard ratio 3.26, P = 0.0008) after adjustment for age, gender, history of previous heart failure, coronary artery disease, hypertension, chronic kidney failure, history of diabetes, heart rate, haemoglobin, plasma sodium, NT‐proBNP, CRP, cystatin C, and elevated cardiac troponin I or T. Patients with increased levels of either two or three of the biomarkers CT‐IGFBP‐4, NT‐proBNP, and CRP had significantly higher mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio 10.04, P < 0.0001) than patients with increased levels of one or none of the biomarkers.

Conclusions

CT‐IGFBP‐4 was independently associated with all‐cause mortality in patients with AHF. Compared with single biomarkers, the combination of CT‐IGFBP‐4, NT‐proBNP, and CRP improved the prediction of all‐cause mortality in patients with AHF.

Genetic architecture of subcortical brain structures in 38,851 individuals

Subcortical brain structures are integral to motion, consciousness, emotions and learning. We identified common genetic variation related to the volumes of the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, brainstem, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus, using genome-wide association analyses in almost 40,000 individuals from CHARGE, ENIGMA and UK Biobank. We show that variability in subcortical volumes is heritable, and identify 48 significantly associated loci (40 novel at the time of analysis). Annotation of these loci by utilizing gene expression, methylation and neuropathological data identified 199 genes putatively implicated in neurodevelopment, synaptic signaling, axonal transport, apoptosis, inflammation/infection and susceptibility to neurological disorders. This set of genes is significantly enriched for Drosophila orthologs associated with neurodevelopmental phenotypes, suggesting evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. Our findings uncover novel biology and potential drug targets underlying brain development and disease.

Impact of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D on cardiac prognosis in Chinese patients with heart failure

There is growing evidence that suggests the association of vitamin D status with the development and progression of heart failure (HF). The objective of the present study is to assess the impact of concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) on cardiac prognosis in patients with HF. Between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016, we consecutively recruited patients with HF. Patients were followed prospectively for a median duration of 1 year. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D was measured with competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay. The endpoints were cardiac events, including CVD death and rehospitalisation for worsening HF. Univariate and multivariable adjustments were performed with Cox proportional-hazard regression analyses. The 25(OH)D concentration was obtained in 343 patients with a median value of 17·4 (interquartile range 12·6-23·4) ng/ml. There were 102 cardiac events, including forty-three deaths and fifty-nine rehospitalisations. Multivariate Cox hazard analysis found that the serum concentration 25(OH)D was independently associated with cardiac events (hazard ratio 0·93, 95 % CI 0·88, 0·97) and CVD mortality (hazard ratio 0·83; 95 % CI 0·77, 0·89) after adjustment for confounding factors. We divided the HF patients into four groups according to the 25(OH)D quartiles. Kaplan-Meier analysis found that the patients with lower serum 25(OH)D concentration had a higher risk of cardiac events or CVD mortality than those with high serum 25(OH)D concentration (log-rank test P < 0·001 and P = 0·032). Decreased serum concentrations of 25(OH)D were associated with cardiac prognosis and CVD mortality in a Chinese population with HF independent of other baseline HF markers.

Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A as a prognostic biomarker of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in patients presenting with chest pain: a systematic review

AIM

Novel biomarkers have been proposed for identification of patients at greater risk of future adverse events among those presenting with chest pain. In this review, we aim to elucidate the ability of pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) to predict mortality and other cardiovascular events in this patient population.

METHODS

A literature search of the electronic databases Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed in order to identify studies investigating the utility of PAPP-A to predict mortality and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with chest pain.

RESULTS

Eight studies met our inclusion criteria. Five of these studies pertained to patients with confirmed ischemic chest pain, while the rest included patients presenting with chest pain possibly due to acute coronary syndrome, irrespectively of the underlying cause. Although the results for long-term events were inconclusive in both groups of patients, higher PAPP-A concentrations were found to be a significant predictor of short-term adverse events in patients with confirmed ischemic chest pain.

CONCLUSIONS

PAPP-A appears to be a potentially useful biomarker for short-term risk stratification of patients presenting with chest pain of ischemic origin. However, there is an eminent need for more standardized clinical studies investigating the prognostic value of this biomarker.

Myocardial and Peripheral Ischemia Causes an Increase in Circulating Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A in Non-atherosclerotic, Non-heparinized Pigs

The usefulness of circulating pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) as a biomarker for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is widely debated. We used the pig as a model to assess PAPP-A dynamics in the setting of myocardial ischemia. Induction of myocardial ischemia by ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery caused a systemic rise in PAPP-A. However, the ischemic myocardium was excluded as the source of PAPP-A. Interestingly, induction of ischemia in peripheral tissues by ligation of the left femoral artery caused a systemic rise in PAPP-A originating from the left hind limb. This is the first study to demonstrate PAPP-A elevations in the absence of atherosclerosis or heparin during myocardial ischemia. Our findings thus add to the current discussion of the usefulness of PAPP-A as a biomarker for ACS.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and the vulnerable plaque

For more than a decade, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) has been examined for its relation to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and the vulnerable plaque. This review summarizes the current knowledge of plasma PAPP-A in relation to nonpregnant individuals focusing on patients with ACS, discusses its use as a possible biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in ACS, briefly describes the challenges in different assay technologies and describes the effect of heparin administration on PAPP-A concentrations in plasma.

Impact of serum omentin-1 levels on cardiac prognosis in patients with heart failure

Background

Various adipokines are reported to be associated with the development of heart failure (HF) through insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. Omentin-1 is a novel adipokine and is associated with incident coronary artery disease. However, it remains unclear whether serum omentin-1 levels are associated with cardiac prognosis in patients with HF.

Methods

We measured serum omentin-1 levels at admission in 136 consecutive patients with HF, and 20 control subjects without signs of significant heart disease. We prospectively followed patients with HF to endpoints of cardiac death or re-hospitalization for worsening HF.

Results

Serum omentin-1 levels were markedly lower in HF patients with cardiac events compared with to without. The patients who were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV showed significantly lower serum omentin-1 levels compared to those in class II and III, whereas serum omentin-1 levels did not correlate with serum brain natriuretic peptide levels (r = 0.217, P = 0.011). We divided the HF patients into three groups based on the tertiles of serum omentin-1 level (low T1, middle T2, and high T3). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis showed that the lowest serum omentin-1 level (T1) was independently associated with cardiac events after adjustment for confounding factors (hazard ratio 5.78, 95% confidence interval 1.20-12.79). We divided the HF patients into two groups according to the median serum omentin-1 levels. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the patients with low serum omentin-1 levels had a higher risk of cardiac events compared with those with high serum omentin-1 levels (log-rank test p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Decreased serum omentin-1 levels were associated with a poor cardiac outcome in patients with HF.

Analysis of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A production in human adult cardiac progenitor cells

IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) and their proteases regulate IGFs bioavailability in multiple tissues. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) is a protease acting by cleaving IGFBP2, 4, and 5, regulating local bioavailability of IGFs. We have previously shown that IGFs and IGFBPs are produced by human adult cardiac progenitor cells (haCPCs) and that IGF-1 exerts paracrine therapeutic effects in cardiac cell therapy with CPCs. Using immunofluorescence and enzyme immunoassays, we firstly report that PAPP-A is produced and secreted in surprisingly high amounts by haCPCs. In particular, the homodimeric, enzymatically active, PAPP-A is secreted in relevant concentrations in haCPC-conditioned media, while the enzymatically inactive PAPPA/proMBP complex is not detectable in the same media. Furthermore, we show that both homodimeric PAPP-A and proMBP can be detected as cell associated, suggesting that the previously described complex formation at the cell surface does not occur easily, thus positively affecting IGF signalling. Therefore, our results strongly support the importance of PAPP-A for the IGFs/IGFBPs/PAPP-A axis in CPCs biology.

Elevated pregnancy-associated plasma protein A predicts myocardial dysfunction and death in severe sepsis

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPPA) is an emerging biomarker used in various medical fields but has yet to be evaluated in critical care medicine. This study evaluates the value of PAPPA as a biomarker in predicting myocardial dysfunction and 28-day mortality in patients with severe sepsis.

METHODS

Serum concentrations of PAPPA and traditional cardiac biomarkers including cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured on admission in 118 severely septic patients. The value of PAPPA for the diagnosis of sepsis-related myocardial dysfunction (SRMD) and for the prediction of 28-day mortality was subsequently evaluated using statistical methods.

RESULTS

PAPPA was elevated (≥4.5 ng/mL) in 76 (64.4%) patients; patients with elevated PAPPA were more likely to have SRMD (76.3% vs. 38.1%, P < 0.001). By comparison of the area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristics analysis, PAPPA had comparable value (AUC 0.661, P = 0.003) to conventional biomarkers (BNP: AUC 0.699, P < 0.001; cTnI: AUC 0.647, P = 0.007) in the diagnosis of SRMD and offered superior value (AUC 0.771, P < 0.001) over them (all AUC<0.7, P > 0.05) in the prediction of 28-day death. Increased PAPPA (≥5.4 ng/mL) was associated with lower 28-day survival (χ(2) = 19.78, P < 0.001) and independently predicted 28-day mortality in septic patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum PAPPA concentration frequently increases in patients with severe sepsis and appears to be associated with SRMD. PAPPA can be used as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of SRMD and the prediction of outcomes in critically ill patients.