Copeptin (C-terminal pro arginine-vasopressin) is an independent long-term prognostic marker in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Elevated Copeptin Levels Are Associated with Heart Failure Severity and Adverse Outcomes in Children with Cardiomyopathy

In children with cardiomyopathy, the severity of heart failure (HF) varies. However, copeptin, which is a biomarker of neurohormonal adaptation in heart failure, has not been studied in these patients. In this study, we evaluated the correlation of copeptin level with functional HF grading, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and echocardiography variables in children with cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, we determined if copeptin levels are associated with adverse outcomes, including cardiac arrest, mechanical circulatory support, heart transplant, or death. In forty-two children with cardiomyopathy with a median (IQR) age of 13.1 years (2.5-17.2) and a median follow-up of 2.5 years (2.2-2.7), seven (16.7%) children had at least one adverse outcome. Copeptin levels were highest in the patients with adverse outcomes, followed by the patients without adverse outcomes, and then the healthy children. The copeptin levels in patients showed a strong correlation with their functional HF grading, BNP level, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Patients with copeptin levels higher than the median value of 25 pg/mL had a higher likelihood of experiencing adverse outcomes, as revealed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (p = 0.024). Copeptin level was an excellent predictor of outcomes, with an area under the curve of 0.861 (95% CI, 0.634-1.089), a sensitivity of 86%, and a specificity of 60% for copeptin level of 25 pg/mL. This predictive value was superior in patients with dilated and restrictive cardiomyopathies (0.97 (CI 0.927-1.036), p < 0.0001, n = 21) than in those with hypertrophic and LV non-compaction cardiomyopathies (0.60 (CI 0.04-1.16), p = 0.7, n = 21).

Precision Medicine and the future of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Clinically Oriented Comprehensive Review

Cardiac diseases form the lion's share of the global disease burden, owing to the paradigm shift to non-infectious diseases from infectious ones. The prevalence of CVDs has nearly doubled, increasing from 271 million in 1990 to 523 million in 2019. Additionally, the global trend for the years lived with disability has doubled, increasing from 17.7 million to 34.4 million over the same period. The advent of precision medicine in cardiology has ignited new possibilities for individually personalized, integrative, and patient-centric approaches to disease prevention and treatment, incorporating the standard clinical data with advanced "omics". These data help with the phenotypically adjudicated individualization of treatment. The major objective of this review was to compile the evolving clinically relevant tools of precision medicine that can help with the evidence-based precise individualized management of cardiac diseases with the highest DALY. The field of cardiology is evolving to provide targeted therapy, which is crafted as per the "omics", involving genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics, for deep phenotyping. Research for individualizing therapy in heart diseases with the highest DALY has helped identify novel genes, biomarkers, proteins, and technologies to aid early diagnosis and treatment. Precision medicine has helped in targeted management, allowing early diagnosis, timely precise intervention, and exposure to minimal side effects. Despite these great impacts, overcoming the barriers to implementing precision medicine requires addressing the economic, cultural, technical, and socio-political issues. Precision medicine is proposed to be the future of cardiovascular medicine and holds the potential for a more efficient and personalized approach to the management of cardiovascular diseases, contrary to the standardized blanket approach.

Role of copeptin in diagnosis and outcome prediction in patients with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: This systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies, was conducted to evaluate the role of copeptin in diagnosis and outcome prediction in HF patients. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search for clinical trials reporting copeptin levels in HF patients was performed using EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar. Articles from databases published by January 2nd, 2022, that met the selection criteria were retrieved and reviewed. The random effects model was used for analyses. Results: Pooled analysis found higher mean copeptin levels in HF vs. non-HF populations (43.6 ± 46.4 vs. 21.4 ± 21.4; MD= 20.48; 95%CI: 9.22 to 31.74; p < 0.001). Pooled analysis of copeptin concentrations stratified by ejection fraction showed higher concentrations in HFrEF vs. HFpEF (17.4 ± 7.1 vs. 10.1 ± 5.5; MD= -4.69; 95%CI: -7.58 to -1.81; p = 0.001). Copeptin level was higher in patients with mortality/acute HF-related hospitalization vs. stable patients (31.3 ± 23.7 vs. 20.4 ± 12.8; MD= -13.06; 95%CI: -25.28 to -0.84; p = 0.04). Higher copeptin concentrations were associated with mortality and observed in all follow-up periods (p <0.05). Discussion and Conclusions: Present meta-analysis showed that elevated copeptin plasma concentrations observed in HF patients are associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, thus copeptin may serve as predictor of outcome in HF.

Copeptin as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Cardiovascular Diseases

Copeptin is the carboxyl-terminus of the arginine vasopressin (AVP) precursor peptide. The main physiological functions of AVP are fluid and osmotic balance, cardiovascular homeostasis, and regulation of endocrine stress response. Copeptin, which is released in an equimolar mode with AVP from the neurohypophysis, has emerged as a stable and simple-to-measure surrogate marker of AVP and has displayed enormous potential in clinical practice. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently recognized as a primary threat to the health of the population worldwide, and thus, rapid and effective approaches to identify individuals that are at high risk of, or have already developed CVD are required. Copeptin is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in CVD, including the rapid rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), mortality prediction in heart failure (HF), and stroke. This review summarizes and discusses the value of copeptin in the diagnosis, discrimination, and prognosis of CVD (AMI, HF, and stroke), as well as the caveats and prospects for the application of this potential biomarker.

Cardiovascular Biomarkers: Lessons of the Past and Prospects for the Future

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major healthcare burden on the population worldwide. Early detection of this disease is important in prevention and treatment to minimise morbidity and mortality. Biomarkers are a critical tool to either diagnose, screen, or provide prognostic information for pathological conditions. This review discusses the historical cardiac biomarkers used to detect these conditions, discussing their application and their limitations. Identification of new biomarkers have since replaced these and are now in use in routine clinical practice, but still do not detect all disease. Future cardiac biomarkers are showing promise in early studies, but further studies are required to show their value in improving detection of CVD above the current biomarkers. Additionally, the analytical platforms that would allow them to be adopted in healthcare are yet to be established. There is also the need to identify whether these biomarkers can be used for diagnostic, prognostic, or screening purposes, which will impact their implementation in routine clinical practice.

Copeptin reliably reflects longitudinal right ventricular function

BACKGROUND

Data is limited evaluating novel biomarkers in right ventricular dysfunction. Normal right heart function improves the prognosis of patients with heart failure. Therefore, this study investigates the association between the novel biomarker copeptin and right heart function compared to NT-proBNP.

METHODS

Patients undergoing routine echocardiography were enrolled prospectively. Right ventricular function was assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and further right ventricular and atrial parameters. Exclusion criteria were age under 18 years, left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% and moderate to severe valvular heart disease. Blood samples were taken for biomarker measurements within 72 h of echocardiography.

RESULTS

Ninety-one patients were included. Median values of copeptin increased significantly according to decreasing values of TAPSE (P = 0.001; right heart function grade I: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion; TAPSE > 24 mm: 5.20 pmol/L; grade II: TAPSE 18-24 mm: 8.10 pmol/L; grade III: TAPSE < 18 mm: 26.50 pmol/L). Copeptin concentrations were able to discriminate patients with decreased right heart function defined as TAPSE < 18 mm (area under the curves [AUC]: copeptin: 0.793; P = 0.001; NT-proBNP: 0.805; P = 0.0001). Within a multivariable linear regression model, copeptin was independently associated with TAPSE (copeptin: T: -4.43; P = 0.0001; NT-proBNP: T: -1.21; P = 0.23). Finally, copeptin concentrations were significantly associated with severely reduced right heart function (TAPSE < 18 mm) within a multivariate logistic regression model (copeptin: odds ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.911-0.975; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the novel biomarker copeptin reflects longitudinal right heart function assessed by standardized transthoracic echocardiography compared with NT-proBNP.

Aquaporins and diseases pathogenesis: From trivial to undeniable involvements, a disease-based point of view

Aquaporins (AQPs), as transmembrane proteins, were primarily identified as water channels with the ability of regulating the transmission of water, glycerol, urea, and other small-sized molecules. The classic view of AQPs involvement in therapeutic plan restricted them and their regulators into managing only a narrow spectrum of the diseases such as diabetes insipidus and the syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion. However, further investigations performed, especially in the third millennium, has found that their cooperation in water transmission control can be manipulated to handle other burden-imposing diseases such as cirrhosis, heart failure, Meniere's disease, cancer, bullous pemphigoid, eczema, and Sjögren's syndrome.

Neurohumoral, cardiac and inflammatory markers in the evaluation of heart failure severity and progression

Heart failure is common in adult population, accounting for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. The main risk factors for heart failure are coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, chronic pulmonary diseases, family history of cardiovascular diseases, cardiotoxic therapy. The main factor associated with poor outcome of these patients is constant progression of heart failure. In the current review we present evidence on the role of established and candidate neurohumoral biomarkers for heart failure progression management and diagnostics. A growing number of biomarkers have been proposed as potentially useful in heart failure patients, but not one of them still resembles the characteristics of the “ideal biomarker.” A single marker will hardly perform well for screening, diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic management purposes. Moreover, the pathophysiological and clinical significance of biomarkers may depend on the presentation, stage, and severity of the disease. The authors cover main classification of heart failure phenotypes, based on the measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and the recently proposed category heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction. One could envisage specific sets of biomarker with different performances in heart failure progression with different left ventricular ejection fraction especially as concerns prediction of the future course of the disease and of left ventricular adverse/reverse remodeling. This article is intended to provide an overview of basic and additional mechanisms of heart failure progression will contribute to a more comprehensive knowledge of the disease pathogenesis.

Predictive value of plasma copeptin level for diagnosis and mortality of pulmonary embolism

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Early diagnosis and risk stratification may provide a better prognosis in pulmonary embolism (PE). Copeptin has emerged as a valuable predictive biomarker in various cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of copeptin in patients with acute PE and to evaluate its relationship with disease severity and PE-related death. METHODS: Fifty-four patients and 60 healthy individuals were included in this study. Copeptin concentrations and right ventricular dysfunction were analyzed. The correlation between copeptin levels and hemodynamic and echocardiographic parameters was examined. After these first measurements, patients were evaluated with PE-related mortality at the one-year follow-up. RESULTS: The copeptin levels were higher in PE patients than in the control group (8.3 ng/mL vs 3.8 ng/mL, p<0.001). Copeptin levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with PE-related death and right ventricular dysfunction (10.2 vs 7.5 ng/ml, p=0.001; 10.5 vs 7.5 ng/ml, p=0.002, respectively). When the cut-off value of copeptin was ≥5.85, its sensitivity and specificity for predicting PE were 71.9% and 85.0%, respectively (AUC=0.762, 95% CI=0.635-0.889, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The copeptin measurement had moderate sensitivity and specificity in predicting the diagnosis of PE, and the copeptin level was significantly higher in patients with PE-related death at the one-year follow-up. Copeptin may be a useful new biomarker in predicting diagnosis, risk stratification, and prognosis of PE.

Association between copeptin and contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of copeptin levels in the development of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN).

METHODS

A total of 274 patients diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and who had undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence (CIN+) or absence (CIN-) of CIN. These groups were compared in terms of demographic characteristics, laboratory findings and risk factors.

RESULTS

Copeptin levels (10.68±6.43 vs. 7.07±05.53 pmol/l; p<0.001) and peak creatinine (1.46±1.20 vs. 1.03±0.20 mg/dl; p=0.005) were significantly higher in the CIN+ group than in the CIN- group. Female gender was significantly more prevalent in the CIN- group compared to the CIN+ group (19% vs. 8.6%; p<0.05). Copeptin level at hospital admission (OR: 2.36, p=0.005) was found to be an independent predictor for CIN development.

CONCLUSION

Copeptin level is an independent predictor of CIN development in patients with acute STEMI that can be detected rapidly and easily. This result indicates that physicians should be aware of the possibility of CIN development in patients with high copeptin levels and preventive measures should start early.

Copeptin levels in patients with coronary artery ectasia

Background and aims

The etiology and pathophysiology of coronary artery ectasia (CAE) has not been fully elucidated. A rapid rise in plasma copeptin has been observed in cardiovascular diseases, stroke, sepsis, and shock. This increase has diagnostic and prognostic value. The aim of this study was to investigate whether copeptin has a relationship with CAE.

Methods

This observational prospective study was carried out between October 2012 and March 2013 in the cardiology catheter laboratory with the inclusion of 44 subjects with a diagnosis of CAE and 44 age- and gender-matched individuals with normal coronary arteries. Blood samples obtained from the patients were stored at -70 °C until analysis and copeptin levels in sera were measured by ELISA.

Results

This study comprised 88 study participants, among whom 44 were patients meeting ectasia criteria [mean age: 58.0 ± 11.5 years; 59% (n = 26) male], and 44 were control subjects with angiographically normal coronary anatomy [mean age: 49.2 ± 10.1 years; 30% (n = 13) male]. Copeptin levels were similar between the groups (p > 0.05). In addition, there was no correlation between copeptin levels and CAE.

Conclusion

In this study, it is examined that copeptin levels were not elevated in CAE patients.

The Biomarkers for Acute Myocardial Infarction and Heart Failure

The use of a large number of cardiovascular biomarkers, meant to complement the use of the electrocardiogram, echocardiography cardiac imaging, and clinical symptom assessment, has become a routine in clinical diagnosis, differential diagnosis, risk stratification, and prognosis and guides the management of patients with suspected cardiovascular diseases. There is a broad consensus that cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptides are the preferred biomarkers in clinical practice for the diagnosis of the acute coronary syndrome and heart failure, respectively, while the roles and possible clinical applications of several other potential biomarkers are still under study. This review mainly focuses on the recent studies of the roles and clinical applications of troponin and natriuretic peptides, which seem to be the best-validated markers in distinguishing and predicting the future cardiac events of patients with suspected cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the review briefly discusses some of the large number of potential markers that may play a more prominent role in the future.

Prognostic value of copeptin in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Recently, copeptin has been identified as a plasma prognosis marker in acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study investigated the prognostic value of copeptin in the patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage(aSAH).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 243 consecutive patients were included. Upon admission, plasma copeptin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The end points were mortality and poor functional outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3) after 3 months.

RESULTS

In 243 patients, 112 (46.1%) were male and median age was 58 years (IQR 49-68). Median copeptin plasma levels were 21.0 pmol/l (IQR 13.2-31.2). Copeptin levels increased with increasing severity of aSAH as defined by the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) score. Patients with a poor outcome and nonsurvivors had significantly increased copeptin levels on admission (P < .001 both). In the multivariate analysis, for each 1 pmol/l increase of plasma concentration of copeptin, the adjusted risk of poor outcomes and mortality would be increased by and 6% (1.06 [1.02-1.10], P < .001) and 9% (1.09 [1.03-1.13], P < .001), respectively. Receiver operating characteristics to predict functional outcome and mortality demonstrated areas under the curve of copeptin of 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-0.81) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.74-0.87), which was comparable with the WFNS score(P > .05) but superior to C-reactive protein and IL-6 (P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

The data shows that copeptin levels may reliably predict short-term prognosis at its onset in aSAH patients.

Copeptin in heart failure: Review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic value of copeptin for predicting all-cause mortality in heart failure (HF).

METHODS

PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were systematically searched to identify if a 2×2 contingency table could be constructed based on both the copeptin level and the all-cause mortality in patients diagnosed with HF. The characteristics of test performance were summarized using forest plots and summary receiver operating characteristic curves (SROC). Q-test and I² index were used to evaluate heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Ten prospective cohort studies comprising 4473 patients were eligible in this meta-analysis. An elevated copeptin level was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in HF patients (Relative risk (RR) was 2.64 (95% CI, 2.09-3.32)). The pooled sensitivity (SEN) and specificity (SPE) of copeptin were 0.57 (95% CI, 0.50-0.63) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.69-0.79), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio was 2.2 (95% CI, 1.90-2.60) and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.52-0.66). Furthermore, the summary Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR) was 4.00 (95% CI, 3.00-5.00) and the AUC was 0.70 (95% CI, 0.66-0.74) similar to the AUC of NT-proBNP 0.71 (95% CI, 0.67-0.75).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated levels of copeptin are associated with all-cause mortality in HF patients. The predictive value of copeptin is comparable with NT-proBNP for all-cause mortality in HF patients. Further studies are warranted to explore the prognostic value of copeptin in conjunction with other biomarkers and to determine an optimal cut-off level.

Role of sympathetic cotransmitter galanin on autonomic balance in heart failure: an active player or a bystander?

Objective:

Galanin, a cotransmitter similar to neuropeptide Y (NPY), aggravates autonomic imbalance in systolic heart failure (HF) by attenuating vagal tonus after burst sympathetic activity. In animal HF models, galanin antagonists have improved cardiac function. To determine whether galanin is a promising therapeutic target in HF, we studied its concentrations in HF patients and evaluated its correlation with NPY, markers of humoral activity such as pro-BNP and copeptin, and echocardiographic parameters of HF severity.

Methods:

After recording demographic and echocardiographic characteristics of 87 individuals (57 HF patients and 30 control subjects), fasting serum concentrations of galanin, NPY, copeptin, and pro-BNP were determined.

Results:

Unlike pro-BNP, copeptin, and NPY, which were significantly elevated in HF patients (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p=0.001, respectively), galanin was similar in HF patients and control subjects (p=0.9). NPY correlated with the echocardiographic parameters of HF severity (r=–0.22, p=0.03 for EF; r=0.3, p=0.005 for Tei index of RV; r=–0.23, p=0.03 for TAPSE; and r=0.24, p=0.024 for E/e¢) and pro-BNP (r=0.22, p=0.046). NPY levels were also associated with beta blocker (BB) use, wherein BB significantly decreased NPY in both HF patients and control subjects. Galanin correlated with humoral biomarkers, pro-BNP and copeptin (r=0.39, p<0.001 and r=0.41, p<0.001, respectively). Although current smoking, BB therapy, pro-BNP, copeptin, and body mass index were associated with galanin in univariate analyses, the multiple linear regression model revealed that pro-BNP was the only significant determinant of galanin levels in HF patients.

Conclusion:

Our findings confirmed the role of NPY in autonomic balance and suggest that galanin is associated with the proadrenergic state, but its role in HF in humans remains unclear.

ANMCO/ELAS/SIBioC Consensus Document: biomarkers in heart failure

Biomarkers have dramatically impacted the way heart failure (HF) patients are evaluated and managed. A biomarker is a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological or pathogenic processes, or pharmacological responses to a therapeutic intervention. Natriuretic peptides [B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP] are the gold standard biomarkers in determining the diagnosis and prognosis of HF, and a natriuretic peptide-guided HF management looks promising. In the last few years, an array of additional biomarkers has emerged, each reflecting different pathophysiological processes in the development and progression of HF: myocardial insult, inflammation, fibrosis, and remodelling, but their role in the clinical care of the patient is still partially defined and more studies are needed before to be well validated. Moreover, several new biomarkers have the potential to identify patients with early renal dysfunction and appear to have promise to help the management cardio-renal syndrome. With different biomarkers reflecting HF presence, the various pathways involved in its progression, as well as identifying unique treatment options for HF management, a closer cardiologist-laboratory link, with a multi-biomarker approach to the HF patient, is not far ahead, allowing the unique opportunity for specifically tailoring care to the individual pathological phenotype.

Prognostic role of copeptin with all-cause mortality after heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

As the C-terminal section of vasopressin precursor, copeptin has been recently suggested as a new prognostic biomarker after heart failure (HF). Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of plasma copeptin level with all-cause mortality in patients with HF.

METHODS

Comprehensive strategies were used to search relevant studies from electronic databases. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and standardized mean differences (SMDs) together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed to find the potential sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

A total of 5,989 participants from 17 prospective studies were included in this meta-analysis. A significant association was observed between circulating copeptin levels and risk of all-cause mortality in patients with HF (categorical copeptin: HR =1.69, 95% CI =1.42-2.01; per unit copeptin: HR =1.03, 95% CI =1.00-1.07; log unit copeptin: HR =3.26, 95% CI =0.95-11.25). Pooled SMD showed that copeptin levels were significantly higher in patients with HF who died during the follow-up period than in survivors (SMD =1.19, 95% CI =0.81-1.57). Subgroup analyses also confirmed this significant association, while sensitivity analyses indicated that the overall results were stable.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that circulating copeptin seemed to be a novel biomarker to provide better prediction of all-cause mortality in patients with HF.

Novel Biomarkers of Heart Failure

Although substantial improvements have been made in majority of cardiac disorders, heart failure (HF) remains a major health problem, with both increasing incidence and prevalence over the past decades. For that reason, the number of potential biomarkers that could contribute to diagnosis and treatment of HF patients is, almost exponentially, increasing over the recent years. The biomarkers that are, at the moment, more or less ready for use in everyday clinical practice, reflect different pathophysiological processes present in HF. In this review, seven groups of biomarkers associated to myocardial stretch (mid-regional proatrial natriuretic peptide, MR-proANP), myocyte injury (high-sensitive troponins, hs-cTn; heart-type fatty acid-binding protein, H-FABP; glutathione transferase P1, GSTP1), matrix remodeling (galectin-3; soluble isoform of suppression of tumorigenicity 2, sST2), inflammation (growth differentiation factor-15, GDF-15), renal dysfunction (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, NGAL; kidney injury molecule-1, KIM-1), neurohumoral activation (adrenomedullin, MR-proADM; copeptin), and oxidative stress (ceruloplasmin; myeloperoxidase, MPO; 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, 8-OHdG; thioredoxin 1, Trx1) in HF will be overviewed. It is important to note that clinical value of individual biomarkers within the single time points in both diagnosis and outcome prediction in HF is limited. Hence, the future of biomarker application in HF lies in the multimarker panel strategy, which would include specific combination of biomarkers that reflect different pathophysiological processes underlying HF.

Recent Advances in Biomarker Discovery — from Serum to Imaging-based Biomarkers for a Complex Assessment of Heart Failure Patients

Over the last years, a vast majority of serum biomarkers and imaging techniques have been used alone or combined in the diagnosis, management and prognosis of numerous pathologies. This review provides a brief insight into the novelties from the last 6 years (2010–2016) regarding serum and imaging markers in heart failure (HF). New information about natriuretic peptides (NPs), soluble ST2 (Sst2), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), myeloperoxidase (MPO), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), troponins (Tns), myoglobin (Mb), galectin-3 (Gal-3), micro ribonucleic acids (microRNAs) and long non-coding ribonucleic acids (IncRNAs), copectin and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) measurements were summarized in this review in order to guide the practitioner.

Elevated copeptin is a prognostic factor for mortality even in patients with renal dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Copeptin has turned out to give valuable prognostic information for future cardiovascular events. However, since its plasma concentration directly depends on renal function, the value of copeptin as a predictor for outcome also in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown.

METHODS

In this single-center substudy of the German Coronary Artery Disease-REnal Failure (CAD-REF) registry, 301 patients with an angiographically diagnosed stenosis ≥50% in at least one major coronary vessel were included. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was determined using the MDRD formula and patients were classified according to their CKD stage. Copeptin concentrations were measured before initial angiography. Follow-up was performed at 180days, study endpoint was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Of the 301 included patients, 35 (11.6%) patients had no CKD, 113 (37.5%) had CKD stage 1 or 2, 117 (38.9%) had CKD stage 3, and 36 (12.0%) had CKD stage 4 or 5. Copeptin was elevated (≥14pmol/L) in 81 (26.9%) patients and normal (<14pmol/L) in 220 (73.1%) patients. Copeptin values significantly increased with decreasing eGFR (p<0.001) and were strongly correlated with creatinine values (r=0.567, p<0.001). During 180days of follow-up, 15 patients (5.0%) died, 10 of them with elevated copeptin values. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that copeptin was the sole predictor for mortality (HRR 5.317 (95% CI 1.653-17.098), p=0.005), independent of serum creatinine.

CONCLUSION

Elevated copeptin can be used as a valuable prognostic factor for intermediate-term mortality in patients with both coronary artery and renal disease.

Pathophysiological and diagnostic implications of cardiac biomarkers and antidiuretic hormone release in distinguishing immersion pulmonary edema from decompression sickness

Immersion pulmonary edema (IPE) is a misdiagnosed environmental illness caused by water immersion, cold, and exertion. IPE occurs typically during SCUBA diving, snorkeling, and swimming. IPE is sometimes associated with myocardial injury and/or loss of consciousness in water, which may be fatal. IPE is thought to involve hemodynamic and cardiovascular disturbances, but its pathophysiology remains largely unclear, which makes IPE prevention difficult. This observational study aimed to document IPE pathogenesis and improve diagnostic reliability, including distinguishing in some conditions IPE from decompression sickness (DCS), another diving-related disorder.Thirty-one patients (19 IPE, 12 DCS) treated at the Hyperbaric Medicine Department (Ste-Anne hospital, Toulon, France; July 2013-June 2014) were recruited into the study. Ten healthy divers were recruited as controls. We tested: (i) copeptin, a surrogate marker for antidiuretic hormone and a stress marker; (ii) ischemia-modified albumin, an ischemia/hypoxia marker; (iii) brain-natriuretic peptide (BNP), a marker of heart failure, and (iv) ultrasensitive-cardiac troponin-I (cTnI), a marker of myocardial ischemia.We found that copeptin and cardiac biomarkers were higher in IPE versus DCS and controls: (i) copeptin: 68% of IPE patients had a high level versus 25% of DCS patients (P < 0.05) (mean ± standard-deviation: IPE: 53 ± 61 pmol/L; DCS: 15 ± 17; controls: 6 ± 3; IPE versus DCS or controls: P < 0.05); (ii) ischemia-modified albumin: 68% of IPE patients had a high level versus 16% of DCS patients (P < 0.05) (IPE: 123 ± 25 arbitrary-units; DCS: 84 ± 25; controls: 94 ± 7; IPE versus DCS or controls: P < 0.05); (iii) BNP: 53% of IPE patients had a high level, DCS patients having normal values (P < 0.05) (IPE: 383 ± 394 ng/L; DCS: 37 ± 28; controls: 19 ± 15; IPE versus DCS or controls: P < 0.01); (iv) cTnI: 63% of IPE patients had a high level, DCS patients having normal values (P < 0.05) (IPE: 0.66 ± 1.50 μg/L; DCS: 0.0061 ± 0.0040; controls: 0.0090 ± 0.01; IPE versus DCS or controls: P < 0.01). The combined "BNP-cTnI" levels provided most discrimination: all IPE patients, but none of the DCS patients, had elevated levels of either/both of these markers.We propose that antidiuretic hormone acts together with a myocardial ischemic process to promote IPE. Thus, monitoring of antidiuretic hormone and cardiac biomarkers can help to make a quick and reliable diagnosis of IPE.

Copeptin in Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common causes of hospitalization and mortality in the modern Western world and an increasing proportion of the population will be affected by HF in the future. Although HF management has improved quality of life and prognosis, mortality remains very high despite therapeutic options. Medical management consists of a neurohormonal blockade of an overly activated neurohormonal axis. No single marker has been able to predict or monitor HF with respect to disease progression, hospitalization, or mortality. New methods for diagnosis, monitoring therapy, and prognosis are warranted. Copeptin, a precursor of pre-provasopressin, is a new biomarker in HF with promising potential. Copeptin has been found to be elevated in both acute and chronic HF and is associated with prognosis. Copeptin, in combination with other biomarkers, could be a useful marker in the monitoring of disease severity and as a predictor of prognosis and survival in HF.

Biomarkers of Heart Failure with Preserved and Reduced Ejection Fraction

Biomarkers are increaingly being used in the management of heart failure not only for the purpose of screening, diagnosis, and risk stratification, but also as a guide to evaluate the response to treatment in the individual patient and as an entry criterion and/or a surrogate marker of efficacy in clinical trials testing novel drugs. In this chapter, we review the role of established biomarkers for heart failure management, according to the main classification of HF phenotypes, based on the measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction, including heart failure with reduced (<40%), preserved (≥50%), and, as recently proposed, mid-range (40-49%) ejection fraction.

Less increase of copeptin and MR-proADM due to intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined: Results from a 4-year prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens

Intervention with selenium and coenzyme Q10 have recently been found to reduce mortality and increase cardiac function. The mechanisms behind these effects are unclear. As selenium and coenzyme Q10 is involved in the anti-oxidative defence, the present study aimed to evaluate effects of selenium and coenzyme Q10 on copeptin and adrenomedullin as oxidative stress biomarkers. Therefore 437 elderly individuals were included and given intervention for 4 years. Clinical examination and blood samples were undertaken at start and after 18 and 48 months. Evaluations of copeptin and MR-proADM changes were performed using repeated measures of variance. Cardiovascular mortality was evaluated using a 10-year-period of follow-up, and presented in Kaplan-Meier plots. A significant increase in copeptin level could be seen in the placebo group during the intervention period (from 9.4 pmol/L to 15.3 pmol/L), compared to the active treatment group. The difference between the groups was confirmed in the repeated measurement of variance analyses (P = 0.031) with less copeptin increase in the active treatment group. Furthermore, active treatment appeared to protect against cardiovascular death both in those with high and with low copeptin levels at inclusion. Less increase of MR-proADM could also be seen during the intervention in the active treatment group compared to controls (P = 0.026). Both in those having an MR-proADM level above or below median level, significantly less cardiovascular mortality could be seen in the active treatment group (P = 0.0001, and P = 0.04 respectively). In conclusion supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 during four years resulted in less concentration of both copeptin and MR-proADM. A cardioprotective effect of the supplementation was registered, irrespective of the initial levels of these biomarkers, and this protection was recognized also after 10 years of observation.