N-Terminal Pro B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Levels Are Related to the Extent of Hibernating Myocardium in Patients With Ischemic Heart Failure

Myocardial Injury, Troponin Release and Cardiomyocyte Death in Brief Ischemia, Failure and Ventricular Remodeling

Troponin released from irreversibly injured myocytes is the gold standard biomarker for the rapid identification of an acute coronary syndrome. In acute myocardial infarction, necrotic cell death is characterized by sarcolemmal disruption in response to a critical level of energy depletion after more than 15-minutes of ischemia. While troponin I and T are highly specific for cardiomyocyte death, high-sensitivity assays have demonstrated that measurable circulating levels of troponin are present in the majority of normal subjects. In addition, transient as well as chronic elevations have been demonstrated in many disease states not clearly associated with myocardial ischemia. The latter observations have given rise to the clinical concept of myocardial injury. This review will summarize evidence supporting the notion that circulating troponin levels parallel the extent of myocyte apoptosis in normal ventricular remodeling and in pathophysiological conditions not associated with infarction or necrosis. It will review the evidence that myocyte apoptosis can be accelerated by both diastolic strain from elevated ventricular preload as well as systolic strain from dyskinesis after brief episodes of ischemia too short to cause a critical level of myocyte energy depletion. We then show how chronic, low rates of myocyte apoptosis from endogenous myocyte turnover, repetitive ischemia or repetitive elevations in LV diastolic pressure can lead to significant myocyte loss in the absence of neurohormonal stimulation. Finally, we posit that the differential response to strain-induced injury in heart failure may determine whether progressive myocyte loss and HFrEF or interstitial fibrosis and HFpEF become the heart failure phenotype.

High sensitivity Troponins In Patients with elevated prohormone of beta natriuretic peptide and acute heart failure (HIGH TRIP Trial)

In patients presented to emergency rooms, Pro hormone of Natriuretic Peptide (Pro BNP) essay is overly sensitive test to rule out heart failure but less specific in predicting outcomes in follow-ups, in this study we ought to find the added value of High Sensitivity cardiac Troponin I (Hs-cTn I), in patients presented acutely with heart failure and its impact on mortality when Pro BNP is highly elevated. Prospective cohort study, inclusion criteria were age above 18 and clearly positive NT Pro BNP > 1000 pg/ml, with 12 months follow up period, primary end point was mortality from heart failure, secondary endpoint was need for rehospitalization. 95 patients were enrolled, divided into overt and non-overt pulmonary edema groups. Mean (Pro BNP) was 6184 and 5927 pg/ml and mean (Hs-cTn I) were 19.27 and 0.17 ng/ml respectively, Mean Ejection fraction was 48 ± 7 and 47 ± 7 for each group sequentially. Mortality rate was 4 (13%) in the higher Hs-c Tn I group, and 1 (1.6%) in the low troponin level group p = .03, odd ratio was 8.5, 95% CI (0.9-80). Need for re-hospitalization was present in 12 (38%) Vs 7 (8%) patients, p = .0081, odd ratio 4.8, 95% CI (1.7-14.2). In COX proportional hazard analysis, only Hs-cTn I was a significant predictor of poor outcome in this high-risk cohort with p = 0.0001. Adding (Hs-cTrop I) assay to the panel of laboratory testing, in patients presented to ER with acute heart failure and with high Pro-BNP > 1000, may further predicts mortality and rehospitalization rate.

Predictive values of multiple non-invasive markers for myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with preserved ejection fraction

Myocardial fibrosis assessed by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is associated with cardiovascular outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients, but little is known about the utility of non-invasive markers for detecting LGE. This study aims to explore the association between cardiac-specific biomarkers, CMR myocardial strain, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and LGE in HCM patients with preserved ejection fraction (EF) and investigate the predictive values of these indexes for LGE. We recruited 33 healthy volunteers and 86 HCM patients with preserved EF to undergo contrast-enhanced CMR examinations. In total, 48 of 86 HCM patients had the presence of LGE. The LGE-positive patients had significant higher serum high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) levels and lower global longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential (GCS) strains than the LGE-negative group. The LGE% was independently associated with the Nt-proBNP levels, GCS, LV end-diastolic maximum wall thickness (MWT) and beta-blocker treatment. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the combined parameters of Nt-proBNP ≥ 108.00 pg/mL and MWT ≥ 17.30 mm had good diagnostic performance for LGE, with a specificity of 81.25% and sensitivity of 70.00%. These data indicate that serum Nt-proBNP is a potential biomarker associated with LGE% and, combined with MWT, were useful for identifying myocardial fibrosis in HCM patients with preserved EF. Additionally, LV GCS may be a more sensitive indicator for reflecting the presence of myocardial fibrosis than GLS.

Heart Failure in the Era of Precision Medicine: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

One of 5 people will develop heart failure over his or her lifetime. Early diagnosis and better understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease are critical to optimal treatment. The “omics”—genomics, pharmacogenomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics— of heart failure represent rapidly expanding fields of science that have, to date, not been integrated into a single body of work. The goals of this statement are to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of these omics as they relate to the development and progression of heart failure and to consider the current and potential future applications of these data for precision medicine with respect to prevention, diagnosis, and therapy.

The relationship between Plasma Markers and Essential Hypertension in Middle-aged and Elderly Chinese Population: A Community Based Cross-sectional Study

Plasma markers have been continuously advocated as pointers to estimate the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease in the general population. We examined the relationship between plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), homocysteine (Hcy), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and serum uric acid (SUA) levels and hypertension in middle and old aged population. A total of 2624 Chinese (62.02 ± 5.73 years old) were recruited into a population-based, cross-sectional study. Plasma hs-CRP, Hcy, HbA1c, and SUA levels were significantly higher in the hypertension group compared with control in the entire population and men (P = 0.05 for all). We observed a positive association between the highest quartiles of Hcy, NT-proBNP, HBA1c concentrations, and the prevalence of hypertension, OR (95% CI) = 1.48 (1.16–1.90), 1.62 (1.27–2.07) and 1.94 (1.49–2.52), respectively. The multivariable-adjusted OR of hypertension for the fourth versus the first quartile of homocysteine were 2.00 and 1.39 in men and women, respectively. In conclusion, our study found an independent and robust association between elevated Hcy, NT-ProBNP, and HBA1c levels and prevalence of hypertension in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. A follow-up study is necessary to endorse the observed association.

Ultrasensitive Photoelectrochemical Biosensing Platform for Detecting N-Terminal Pro-brain Natriuretic Peptide Based on SnO2/SnS2/mpg-C3N4 Amplified by PbS/SiO2

A sandwich-type photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunosensor for detecting N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was constructed on the basis of SnO₂/SnS₂/mpg-C₃N₄ nanocomposites and PbS/SiO₂, with the former as a photoactive matrix and the latter as an efficient quencher. SnO₂/SnS₂/mpg-C₃N₄ was synthesized via in situ growth of SnO₂ and SnS₂ on mesoporous graphene like C₃N₄ nanocomposites (mpg-C₃N₄). Specifically, SnO₂/SnS₂/mpg-C₃N₄ exhibited intense PEC signal responses, which are tens of times stronger than its each single component. Because of its superior performance, SnO₂/SnS₂/mpg-C₃N₄ was applied as a photoactive matrix and signal indicator for fabricating PEC immunosensor. Interestingly, the excellent PEC signals from SnO₂/SnS₂/mpg-C₃N₄ could be reduced severely with the addition of PbS/SiO₂. Hence, the secondary antibody bioconjugates (PbS/SiO₂-Ab₂) were prepared as an efficient quencher. The mechanism of the quench reaction was further discussed in detail. On the basis of the interaction between the matrix and the quencher, the NT-proBNP immunosensor was fabricated and a wide linear range of 0.1 pg·mL^-1 to 50 ng·mL^-1 was obtained with a low detection limit of 0.05 pg·mL^-1. Additionally, the PEC immunosensor manifested good stability, reproducibility, and selectivity, which could underlie robust platforms for detecting multitudinous biomarkers or other targets of interest.

Identifying and Managing Hibernating Myocardium: What's New and What Remains Unknown?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Hibernation is an important and reversible cause of myocardial dysfunction in ischaemic heart failure.

RECENT FINDINGS

Hibernation is an adaptive process that promotes myocyte survival over maintaining contractile function. It is innate to mammalian physiology, sharing features with physiological hibernation in other species. Advanced imaging methods have reasonable accuracy in identifying hibernating myocardium. Novel superior hybrid methods may provide diagnostic potential. New evidence supports the role of surgical revascularisation in ischaemic heart failure, but the role of viability tests in planning such procedures remains unclear. Research to date has exclusively involved patients with ambulatory heart failure: Investigating the role of hibernation in ADHF is a key avenue for the future. Whilst our understanding of hibernation pathophysiology has improved dramatically, the clinical utility of identifying and targeting hibernation remains unclear.