Roles of ST2, IL-33 and BNP in predicting major adverse cardiovascular events in acute myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention

The Role of Alarmins in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis and Myocardial Infarction

Atherosclerosis is a condition that is associated with lipid accumulation in the arterial intima. Consequently, the enlarging lesion, which is also known as an atherosclerotic plaque, may close the blood vessel lumen, thus leading to organ ischaemia. Furthermore, the plaque may rupture and initiate the formation of a thrombus, which can cause acute ischaemia. Atherosclerosis is a background pathological condition that can eventually lead to major cardiovascular diseases such as acute coronary syndrome or ischaemic stroke. The disorder is associated with an altered profile of alarmins, stress response molecules that are secreted due to cell injury or death and that induce inflammatory responses. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), S100 proteins, interleukin-33, and heat shock proteins (HSPs) also affect the behaviour of endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Thus, alarmins control the inflammatory responses of endothelial cells and proliferation of VSMCs, two important processes implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In this review, we will discuss the role of alarmins in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.

Machine learning in the prediction of in-hospital mortality in patients with first acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Persistent efforts are required to further reduce the in-hospital mortality of patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction (AMI), even in the face of a global trend of declining AMI-related fatalities. We investigated deep machine learning models for in-hospital death prediction in patients on their first AMI.

METHOD

In this 2-center retrospective analysis, first AMI patients from Hospital I and Hospital II were included; 4783 patients from Hospital 1 were split in a 7:3 ratio between the training and testing sets. Data from 1053 AMI patients in Hospital II was used for further validation. 70 clinical information and laboratory examination parameters as predictive indicators were included. Logistic Regression Classifier (LR), Random Forests Classifier (RF), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Support Vector Machine Classifier (SVM), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Bootstrapped Aggregation (Bagging) models with AMI patients were developed. The importance of selected variables was obtained through the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. The performance of each model was shown using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the area under the precision-recall curve (Average Precision; AP).

RESULT

The in-hospital mortality for AMI in the training, testing, and validation sets were 5.7 %, 5.6 %, and 6.0 %, respectively. The top 8 predictors were D-dimer, brain natriuretic peptide, cardiogenic shock, neutrophil, prothrombin time, blood urea nitrogen, cardiac arrest, and phosphorus. In the testing cohort, the models of LR, RF, XGB, SVM, MLP, GBM, and Bagging yielded AUROC values of 0.929, 0.931, 0.907, 0.868, 0.907, 0.923, and 0.932, respectively. Bagging has good predictive value and certain clinical value in external validation with AUROC 0.893.

CONCLUSION

In order to improve the forecasting accuracy of the risk of AMI patients, guide clinical nursing practice, and lower AMI inpatient mortality, this study looked into significant indicators and the optimal models for predicting AMI inpatient mortality.

Roles of IL-33 in the Pathogenesis of Cardiac Disorders

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a member of the IL-1 cytokine family and is believed to play important roles in different diseases by binding to its specific receptor suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2). In the heart, IL-33 is expressed in different cells including cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, endothelium, and epithelium. Although many studies have been devoted to investigating the effects of IL-33 on heart diseases, its roles in myocardial injuries remain obscure, and thus further studies are mandatory to unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms. We highlighted the current knowledge of the molecular and cellular characteristics of IL-33 and then summarized its major roles in different myocardial injuries, mainly focusing on infection, heart transplantation, coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and diabetic cardiomyopathy. This narrative review will summarize current understanding and insights regarding the implications of IL-33 in cardiac diseases and its diagnostic and therapeutic potential for cardiac disease management.

Predictive Value of the Modified GRACE Scoring System for All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background

To establish a modified Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scoring system with an improved predictive performance compared with the traditional GRACE scoring system.

Methods

We identified 5512 patients who were hospitalized with a definite diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020, at the Heart Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University through the hospital's electronic medical record system. A total of 4561 patients were enrolled after the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The mean follow-up was 51.8 ± 23.4 months. The patients were divided into dead and alive groups by endpoint events. The differences between the two groups were compared using the two-sample t test and chi-square test. Adjusted traditional risk factors as well as LogBNP (B-type natriuretic peptide precursor, BNP) and the modified GRACE scoring system were included in a multifactorial COX regression model. The predictive performance of the traditional and modified GRACE scoring systems was compared by (Receiver Operating Characteristic) ROC curves.

Results

Significant differences in age, heart rate, creatinine, uric acid, LogBNP, traditional GRACE score, and modified GRACE score were found between the dead and alive groups by the two-sample t test. Comparison of the two groups by the chi-square test revealed that the dead group had a higher incidence of males; higher cardiac function class; a previous history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), or cerebrovascular disease; a history of smoking; the need for intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support; and more patients taking aspirin, clopidogrel, ticagrelor, and β -blockers. The results were analyzed by a multifactorial COX regression model, and after adjusting for confounders, age, cardiac function class, history of CAD, use of aspirin and β -blockers, and the modified GRACE scoring system were found to be associated with all-cause mortality (ACM) in patients with AMI. The ROC curve was used to compare the predictive performance of the conventional GRACE scoring system with that of the modified GRACE scoring system, and it was found that the modified GRACE scoring system (Area Under Curve (AUC) = 0.809, p < 0.001, 95% (Confidence Interval) CI (0.789-0.829)) was significantly better than the traditional GRACE scoring system (AUC = 0.786, p < 0.001, 95% CI (0.764-0.808)), the comparison between the two scores was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The change in the C statistic after 10-fold crossover internal validation of the modified GRACE score was not significant, and the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) between the old and new models was calculated with IDI = 0.019 > 0, suggesting that the modified GRACE score has a positive improvement on the traditional GRACE score.

Conclusions

The modified GRACE scoring system, established by combining B-type natriuretic peptide precursor (BNP) and the traditional GRACE scoring system, was independently associated with ACM in patients with AMI, with a larger AUC and higher predictive value than the traditional GRACE scoring system.

Clinical Trial Registration

NCT02737956.

The value of serum Sema4D level in predicting the prognosis of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and with high thrombus burden

BACKGROUND

Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a serious cardiovascular disease. High thrombus burden is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis of acute myocardial infarction. However, there is no study on the correlation between soluble semaphorin 4D (sSema4D) level and high thrombus burden in patients with STEMI.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sSema4D level and the thrombus burden of STEMI and further explore its effect on the main predictive value of the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

METHODS

From October 2020 to June 2021, 100 patients with STEMI diagnosed in our hospital's cardiology department were selected. According to the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)score, STEMI patients were divided into high thrombus burden groups (55 cases) and non-high thrombus burden groups (45 cases) 0.74 patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) were selected as stable CHD group, and 75 patients with negative coronary angiography (CAG) were selected as control group. Serum sSema4D levels were measured in 4 groups. The correlation between serum sSema4D and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with STEMI was analyzed. The relationship of serum sSema4D levels between the high and non-high thrombus burden group was evaluated. The effect of sSema4D levels on the occurrence of MACE was explored in one year after percutaneous coronary intervention.

RESULTS

Serum sSema4D level was positively correlated with hs-CRP level in STEMI patients (P < 0.05) with a correlation coefficient of 0.493. The sSema4D level was significantly higher in the high versus non-high thrombus burden group (22.54(20.82,24.17), P < 0.05). Moreover, MACE occurred in 19 cases in high thrombus burden group and 3 cases in non-high thrombus burden group. The results of Cox regression analysis showed that sSema4D was an independent predictor of MACE (OR = 1.497,95% CI: 1.213-1.847, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The sSema4D level is associated with coronary thrombus burden and is an independent risk factor for MACE.

The Impact of Cytokines in Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque: Current Therapeutic Approaches

Coronary atherosclerosis is a chronic pathological process that involves inflammation together with endothelial dysfunction and lipoprotein dysregulation. Experimental studies during the past decades have established the role of inflammatory cytokines in coronary artery disease, namely interleukins (ILs), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon-γ, and chemokines. Moreover, their value as biomarkers in disease development and progression further enhance the validity of this interaction. Recently, cytokine-targeted treatment approaches have emerged as potential tools in the management of atherosclerotic disease. IL-1β, based on the results of the CANTOS trial, remains the most validated option in reducing the residual cardiovascular risk. Along the same line, colchicine was also proven efficacious in preventing major adverse cardiovascular events in large clinical trials of patients with acute and chronic coronary syndrome. Other commercially available agents targeting IL-6 (tocilizumab), TNF-α (etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab), or IL-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra) have mostly been assessed in the setting of other inflammatory diseases and further testing in atherosclerosis is required. In the future, potential targeting of the NLRP3 inflammasome, anti-inflammatory IL-10, or atherogenic chemokines could represent appealing options, provided that patient safety is proven to be of no concern.

Traditional and novel diagnostic biomarkers for acute myocardial infarction

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of death worldwide. The first hours of acute myocardial infarction are correlated with the highest risk of death. Therefore, early diagnosis of the infarction seriously affects the efficacy of the treatment administered to the patient. Misdiagnosing patients with chest pain often leads to inappropriate admission of them as acute myocardial infarction patients. The physical examination of the patient, the electrocardiogram, and the assessment of cardiac biomarkers all play an important role in the early diagnosis of acute ischemia, along with the patient's medical history.

Main body

The present review highlights a number of different biomarkers that are released and elevated in blood during an acute myocardial infarction.

Conclusions

Analysis of cardiac biomarkers has become the first-line diagnostic tool used in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Novel markers of acute myocardial infarction, when added to routinely used markers, can provide added value not only in the earlier detection of acute myocardial infarction but also in monitoring the clinical progress of the disease, predicting its consequences, evaluating its prognosis, detecting recurrence, and managing its treatment. This leads to a lower mortality rate associated with acute myocardial infarction.

cMyC, IMA, S100, and MicroRNAs can serve as markers of early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, whereas myeloperoxidase, sCD40L, PAPPA, and TNF-α can be used to monitor the clinical progress of the disease. In addition, H-FABP, GDF-15, F2 isoprostanes, and ST2 can serve as predictors of AMI complications and mortality. Copeptin, ST2, and SIRT can be useful as prognostic markers of acute myocardial infarction.

From Classic to Modern Prognostic Biomarkers in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Despite all the important advances in its diagnosis and treatment, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is still one of the most prominent causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early identification of patients at high risk of poor outcomes through the measurement of various biomarker concentrations might contribute to more accurate risk stratification and help to guide more individualized therapeutic strategies, thus improving prognoses. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the role and applications of cardiac biomarkers in risk stratification and prognostic assessment for patients with myocardial infarction. Although there is no ideal biomarker that can provide prognostic information for risk assessment in patients with AMI, the results obtained in recent years are promising. Several novel biomarkers related to the pathophysiological processes found in patients with myocardial infarction, such as inflammation, neurohormonal activation, myocardial stress, myocardial necrosis, cardiac remodeling and vasoactive processes, have been identified; they may bring additional value for AMI prognosis when included in multi-biomarker strategies. Furthermore, the use of artificial intelligence algorithms for risk stratification and prognostic assessment in these patients may have an extremely important role in improving outcomes.

Prognostic role of inflammatory cytokines and novel adipokines in acute myocardial infarction: An updated and comprehensive review

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The inflammation response during and after AMI is common and seems to play a key role in the peri-AMI period, related with ischaemia-reperfusion injury, adverse cardiac remodelling, infarct size and poor prognosis. In this article, we provide an updated and comprehensive overview of the most important cytokines and adipokines involved in the complex pathophysiology mechanisms in AMI, summarizing their prognostic role post-AMI. Data so far support that elevated levels of the major proinflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1 and the adipokines adiponectin, visfatin and resistin, are linked to high mortality and morbidity. In contrary, there is evidence that anti-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines as IL-10, omentin-1 and ghrelin can suppress the AMI-induced inflammatory response and are correlated with better prognosis. Mixed data make unclear the role of the novel adipokines leptin and apelin. After all, imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines may result in worst AMI prognosis. The incorporation of these inflammation biomarkers in established prognostic models could further improve their prognostic power improving overall the management of AMI patients.

A meta-analysis of the clinical efficacy of rhBNP in treating patients with acute myocardial infarction and heart failure

OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinical efficacy of rhBNP in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure (HF).

METHODS

A systematic review and a meta-analysis were performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. On May 30, 2020, we consulted the electronic databases PubMed, EBSCO, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and Cochrane using the keywords "acute coronary syndrome (ACS)", "brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)", and "acute myocardial infarction (AMI)". The quality of the data included in the study was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The results of the clinical randomized controlled study reports were analyzed using Review Manager 5.1.0.

RESULTS

A total of nine, clinical, randomized, controlled studies were included. The effective rate in the rhBNP group was significantly higher than it was in the control group (Z = 9.50, P < 0.00001). The patients in the rhBNP group showed remarkably shorter hospital stays (Z = 24.43, P < 0.00001) and markedly increased left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF) (Z = 245.53, P < 0.00001). Compared with the LVEF in the control group, the LVEF in the rhBNP group was significantly increased (Z = 3.55, P = 0.0004), but the rate of cardiac hypotension (Z = 3.55, P = 0.0004) and the headache incidence rate in the rhBNP group (Z = 2.3, P = 0.04) were not elevated. The rhBNP group showed no increase in either the low heart rate (Z = 1.22, P = 0.22) or the rate of renal insufficiency (Z = 0.35, P = 0.73).

CONCLUSION

The meta-analysis suggests that, compared with the conventional treatment of patients with AMI and HF, rhBNP can markedly improve the clinical efficacy and myocardial functions and shorten the hospital stays, without elevating the rate of adverse reactions, such as hypotension, headaches, low heart rate, and renal insufficiency.

Prognostic value of soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2) for cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease patients with and without diabetes mellitus

Background

Soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2) is implicated in myocardial overload and has long been recognized as an inflammatory marker related to heart failure and acute coronary syndrome, but data on the prognostic value of sST2 in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) remain limited. This study sought to investigate the prognostic value of sST2 in patients with established CAD and its predictive value in CAD patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

A total of 3641 consecutive patients were included in this prospective cohort study. The primary end point was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). The secondary end point was all-cause death. The association between sST2 and outcomes was investigated using multivariable Cox regression.

Results

During a median follow-up of 6.4 years, MACEs occurred in 775 patients, and 275 patients died. Multiple Cox regression models showed that a higher level of sST2 was an independent predictor of MACEs development (HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.17–1.56, p < 0.001) and all-cause death (HR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.56–2.59, p < 0.001). The addition of sST2 to established risk factors significantly improved risk prediction of the composite outcome of MACEs and all-cause death (C-index, net reclassification index, and integrated discrimination improvement, all p < 0.05). In subgroup analysis depending on diabetes status, the diabetes group had a significantly higher level of sST2, which remained a significant predictor of MACEs and all-cause death in patients with and without T2DM in multivariable models. The area under the curve (AUC) of CAD patients with diabetes mellitus was significantly higher than that of those without T2DM. For MACEs, the AUC was 0.737 (patients with T2DM) vs 0.620 (patients without T2DM). For all-cause death, the AUC was 0.923 (patients with T2DM) vs 0.789 (patients without T2DM).

Conclusions

A higher level of sST2 is significantly associated with long-term MACEs and all-cause death in CAD patients with and without T2DM. sST2 has strong predictive value for cardiovascular adverse events in CAD patients with T2DM, and these results provide new evidence for the role of sST2.

Association of Soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity with No-Reflow Phenomenon and Long-Term Prognosis in Patients with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Aims: Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) was validated to independently predict prognosis for heart failure (HF) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relation between sST2 and coronary artery stenosis, and no-reflow phenomenon and one-year prognosis in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

Methods: This prospective study consecutively enrolled 205 patients who were diagnosed with NSTE-ACS and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). sST2 was measured for all patients during admission. Patients were divided into two groups based on the optimal cutoff value: sST2 ＞34.2 ng/ml and sST2 ≤ 34.2 ng/ml groups.

Results: Patients in the sST2 ＞34.2 ng/ml group was associated with higher Gensini scores and multivessel disease. sST2 had weak predictive value for no-reflow phenomenon (area under the curve [AUC], 0.662; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53–0.79; P =0.015) with 66.7% sensitivity and 65.2% specificity, and it also had independent predictive value of no-reflow phenomenon after adjusting for confounding factors (odds ratio [OR], 3.802; 95% CI, 1.03–14.11; P =0.046). sST2 ＞34.2 ng/ml had a commendable predictive value for the one-year prognosis (AUC, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75–0.93; P ＜0.001) with 72% sensitivity and 84% specificity, and it independently predicted one-year major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (hazard ratio [HR], 10.22; 95% CI, 4.05–25.7; P ＜0.001).

Conclusion: The sST2 concentration on admission is correlated with the degree of coronary artery stenosis. sST2 can predict both no-reflow and MACCE in patients with NSTE-ACS after PCI and was an independent predictor of MACCE and no-reflow phenomenon.

Mechanistic Biomarkers Informative of Both Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although conventionally managed as separate disease processes, recent research has lent insight into compelling commonalities between CVD and cancer, including shared mechanisms for disease development and progression. In this review, the authors discuss several pathophysiological processes common to both CVD and cancer, such as inflammation, resistance to cell death, cellular proliferation, neurohormonal stress, angiogenesis, and genomic instability, in an effort to understand common mechanisms of both disease states. In particular, the authors highlight key circulating and genomic biomarkers associated with each of these processes, as well as their associations with risk and prognosis in both cancer and CVD. The purpose of this state-of-the-art review is to further our understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying cancer and CVD by contextualizing pathways and biomarkers common to both diseases.

Development and validation of a prognostic nomogram for myocardial infarction patients in intensive care units: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to develop and validate a prognostic nomogram and evaluate the discrimination of the nomogram model in order to improve the prediction of 30-day survival of critically ill myocardial infarction (MI) patients.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Data were collected from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-III database, consisting of critically ill participants between 2001 and 2012 in the USA.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 2031 adult critically ill patients with MI were enrolled from the MIMIC-III database.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME

Thirty-day survival.

RESULTS

Independent prognostic factors, including age, heart rate, white blood cell count, blood urea nitrogen and bicarbonate, were identified by Cox regression model and used in the nomogram. Good agreement between the prediction and observation was indicated by the calibration curve for 30-day survival. The nomogram exhibited reasonably accurate discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.765, 95% CI, 0.716 to 0.814) and calibration (C-index, 0.758, 95% CI, 0.712 to 0.804) in the validation cohort. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically beneficial. Additionally, participants could be classified into two risk groups by the nomogram, and the 30-day survival probability was significantly different between them (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

This five-factor nomogram can achieve a reasonable degree of accuracy to predict 30-day survival in critically ill MI patients and might be helpful for risk stratification and decision-making for MI patients.

The association between soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 and long-term prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Findings regarding the prognostic value of soluble suppression of tumorigenecity-2 (sST2) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) remain inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the long-term prognostic value of sST2 in patients with CAD.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to June 3, 2020. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). The secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) death, heart failure (HF), and myocardial infarction (MI). Pooled estimations and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

Twenty-two articles that enrolled a total of 17,432 patients with CAD were included in the final analysis. CAD patients in the highest categories of baseline sST2 had a significantly higher risk of MACEs (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.09-1.76), all-cause mortality (HR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.54-2.46), and CV death (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.15-1.68), HF (HR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.87-2.94), but not that of MI (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: -0.73-3.04), than those in the lowest categories. These results were consistent when baseline sST2 was presented as continuous values in one unit increments. Moreover, subgroup analysis showed that elevated baseline sST2 levels increased the long-term risk of MACEs in the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) population (HR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.39-2.09) but only showed a trend toward higher risk of MACEs in the non-ACS population (HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.87-1.30).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that a higher concentration of baseline sST2 is associated with a higher risk of MACEs, all-cause mortality, CV death, and HF in patients with CAD. Elevated sST2 levels could significantly predict future MACEs in the ACS population but not in the non-ACS population.

Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) promotes ST2 expression by GATA2 in liver cells

At present, most studies on the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and IL-33/ST2 axis focus on clinical detection, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of HBx and IL-33/ST2 axis regulation and Th cell function regulation have not been explored. In this study, serum samples of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and HBV-related liver cancer (HBV-HCC), and healthy controls, as well as the supernatant solutions of HL7702-WT, HL7702-NC, and HL7702-HBx cells were collected to detect the content of soluble ST2 (sST2). The contents of Th1 cytokines (TNF-α and TNF-γ) and Th2 cytokines (IL-6 and IL-10) in the supernatant of different co-culture groups were detected. The effects of GATA2 on ST2 promoter transcription were investigated by upregulation or interference with GATA2 expression, dual-luciferase reporting, and ChIP experiments. The combined detection of sST2 and FIB-4 was beneficial to the non-invasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis. HBx promotes sST2 expression in liver cells, upregulates Th2 cell function, and inhibits Th1 cell function through IL-33/ST2 axis. HBx interacts with GATA2 to influence the activity of ST2 promoter. Serum sST2 detection is an invaluable indicator for the assessment of the progress of HBV infectious diseases, and the IL-33/ST2 axis plays an important role in changing the cellular immune function caused by HBV infection.

Pro-inflammatory Cytokines in Acute Coronary Syndromes

BACKGROUND

Over the last decades, the role of inflammation and immune system activation in the initiation and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been established.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to present the interplay between cytokines and their actions preceding and shortly after ACS.

METHODS

We searched in a systemic manner the most relevant articles to the topic of inflammation, cytokines, vulnerable plaque and myocardial infarction in MEDLINE, COCHRANE and EMBASE databases.

RESULTS

Different classes of cytokines (intereleukin [IL]-1 family, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) family, chemokines, adipokines, interferons) are implicated in the entire process leading to destabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque, and consequently, to the incidence of myocardial infarction. Especially IL-1 and TNF-α family are involved in inflammatory cell accumulation, vulnerable plaque formation, platelet aggregation, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and adverse remodeling following the myocardial infarction. Several cytokines such as IL-6, adiponectin, interferon-γ, appear with significant prognostic value in ACS patients. Thus, research interest focuses on the modulation of inflammation in ACS to improve clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the unique characteristics that accompany each cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction could illuminate the signaling pathways involved in plaque destabilization and indicate future treatment strategies to improve cardiovascular prognosis in ACS patients.

Predicting long-term cardiovascular outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction using soluble ST2

Background The increase in soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) both in the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure is well established; however, existing data regarding sST2 values as the prognostic marker after myocardial infarction (MI) are limited and have been conflicting. This study aimed to assess the clinical significance of sST2 in predicting 1-year adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in MI patients. Materials and methods In this prospective study, 380 MI patients were included. Participants were grouped into low sST2 (n = 264, mean age: 60.0 ± 12.1 years) and high sST2 groups (n = 116, mean age: 60.5 ± 11.6 years), and all study populations were followed up for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) which are composed of CV mortality, target vessel revascularization (TVR), non-fatal reinfarction, stroke and heart failure. Results During a 12-month follow-up, 68 (17.8%) patients had MACE. CV mortality and heart failure were significantly higher in the high sST2 group compared to the low sST2 group (15.5% vs. 4.9%, p = 0.001 and 8.6% vs. 3.4% p = 0.032, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analysis concluded that high serum sST2 independently predicted 1-year CV mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 2.263, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.124-4.557, p = 0.022)]. Besides, older age, Killip class >1, left anterior descending (LAD) as the culprit artery and lower systolic blood pressure were the other independent risk factors for 1-year CV mortality. Conclusions High sST2 levels are an important predictor of MACE, including CV mortality and heart failure in a 1-year follow-up period in MI 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.

Soluble ST2 for Prediction of Clinical Outcomes in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Receiving Primary PCI

Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), a biomarker representing myocardial fibrosis and inflammation, has been applied in risk stratification of patients with myocardial infarction (MI). However, whether primary PCI (PPCI) will eliminate the predictive value of sST2 in STEMI patients has not been well studied. Here, we conducted a prospective clinical trial to evaluate the correlation between sST2 and prognosis in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI. sST2 levels were measured in 295 STEMI patients (60.2 ± 10.8 years) at admission using a high sensitivity assay. Baseline sST2 levels were significantly associated with heart function, biomarkers of inflammation, and myocardial injury. During a 12-month follow-up, 19 patients had major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Greater sST2 was continuously associated with a higher risk of incident MACEs. Such association remained even after adjusting for other risk factors in a multivariate Cox analysis. A baseline sST2 level in the highest quartile (≥ 58.7 ng/mL) was independently associated with mortality (HR: 5.01, 95%CI: 1.02-16.30, P = 0.048). More incident heart failure was seen in the group with greater sST2, however, the association was not significant after adjustment. Therefore, baseline sST2 may be useful to predict MACEs, especially mortality, in STEMI patients receiving PPCI.

GDF-15 is a better complimentary marker for risk stratification of arrhythmic death in non-ischaemic, dilated cardiomyopathy than soluble ST2

Growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 and soluble ST2 (sST2) are established prognostic markers in acute and chronic heart failure. Assessment of these biomarkers might improve arrhythmic risk stratification of patients with non-ischaemic, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We studied the prognostic value of GDF-15 and sST2 for prediction of arrhythmic death (AD) and all-cause mortality in patients with DCM. We prospectively enrolled 52 patients with DCM and LVEF ≤ 50%. Primary end-points were time to AD or resuscitated cardiac arrest (RCA), and secondary end-point was all-cause mortality. The median follow-up time was 7 years. A cardiac death was observed in 20 patients, where 10 patients had an AD and 2 patients had a RCA. One patient died a non-cardiac death. GDF-15, but not sST2, was associated with increased risk of the AD/RCA with a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.1 (95% CI = 1.1-4.3; P = .031). GDF-15 remained an independent predictor of AD/RCA after adjustment for LVEF with adjusted HR of 2.2 (95% CI = 1.1-4.5; P = .028). Both GDF-15 and sST2 were independent predictors of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.4-4.2; P = .003 vs HR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.05-2.7; P = .030). In a model including GDF-15, sST2, LVEF and NYHA functional class, only GDF-15 was significantly associated with the secondary end-point (adjusted HR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.05-5.2; P = .038). GDF-15 is superior to sST2 in prediction of fatal arrhythmic events and all-cause mortality in DCM. Assessment of GDF-15 could provide additional information on top of LVEF and help identifying patients at risk of arrhythmic death.