The prognostic effect of brain natriuretic peptide levels on outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Integrative review of electrocardiographic characteristics in patients with reduced, mildly reduced, and preserved heart failure

INTRODUCTION

Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in heart failure with reduced, mildly reduced, and preserved ejection fractions can be critical in clinical assessment while waiting to perform echocardiograms or when it is unavailable. This integrative review aimed to identify ECG characteristics among hospitalized patients demonstrating three types of heart failure during acute decompensation.

METHODS

We searched an electronic database of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov using medical subject headings (MeSH) terms and keywords. Sixteen studies were synthesized and reported.

RESULTS

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) was more common in men, comorbid with coronary artery diseases and diabetes mellitus, higher BNP/Pro-BNP, wide QRS, and left bundle branch block on ECG. On average, clients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) were older and more likely to have a history of atrial fibrillation, valvular heart diseases, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary, and atrial fibrillation (AF) on ECG. Patients with mildly reduced (HFmrEF) were more similar to HFpEF in older patients, comorbid with hypertension, AF and valvular diseases, and AF on ECG.

CONCLUSIONS

ECG characteristics might be related to left ventricular ejection fraction. Demographics, BNP/Pro-BNP, and ECG changes might help differentiate different heart failure types. Therefore, ECG might be a prognostic tool while caring for heart failure patients when highly skilled resources are unavailable. These identified ECG characteristics help generate research hypotheses and warrant validation in future research.

Correlation of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with radiographic features of congestion in chest CT scan of patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Given the importance of chest computed tomography (CT) to differentiate congestion from COVID-19 pneumonia, and considering the association of chest CT findings with cardiac biomarkers in patients with concomitant COVID-19 and heart failure, this study was conducted to identify the correlation between plasma NT-proBNP level and radiographic features of congestion in patients with COVID-19. This retrospective cohort research was carried out on adult hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the plasma concentration of NT-proBNP was measured. The most important findings in chest CT have been considered to differentiate COVID-19 pneumonia from congestion. The study population was divided into two groups based on the presence of these imaging characteristics.

RESULTS

Totally, 180 patients with a mean age of 59.6 ± 14.6 years were included in the research. The radiographic findings related to congestion have been found in chest CT of 107 (59.4%) patients. Mean plasma concentration of NT-proBNP in patients with and without radiographic features of congestion was 9886.5 ± 12,676 and 2079.9 ± 4209.3 pg/mL, respectively (p < 0.001). The area under the curve of plasma levels of NT-proBNP for identification of patients with COVID-19 who had pulmonary vein enlargement in chest CT was 0.765 (95% CI 0.688-0.842) and 0.731 (95% CI 0.648-0.813) for the individuals who had interlobar fissure thickening (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnostic accuracy of plasma NT-proBNP and its positive correlation with radiographic features of congestion in chest CT scan of patients with COVID-19 can be helpful for administering appropriate medications to prevent blood volume overload.

Utility of cardiac bioenzymes in predicting cardiovascular outcomes in SARS-CoV-2

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular complications have been increasingly recognized in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Cardiac biomarkers are released because of this ongoing cardiovascular injury and can act as surrogate markers to assess the disease severity.

AIM

To review the variation and utility of these biomarkers in COVID-19 to ascertain their role in diagnosis, prognosis and clinical outcomes of the disease.

METHODS

We performed a literature search in PubMed, Medline and the Reference Citation Analysis (RCA), using the search terms “COVID-19” and “cardiac bioenzymes” or “cardiac biomarkers”. Additionally, we also used the latest reference citation analysis tool to identify more articles.

RESULTS

Cardiac troponin has been consistently elevated in patients with COVID-19 associated myocarditis, and strongly correlated with adverse prognosis. Natri-uretic peptides including brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and pro-BNP is elevated in patients with COVID-19 associated cardiac injury, irrespective of their prior heart failure status, and independently correlated with worst outcomes. Alongside these traditional biomarkers, novel cardiac bioenzymes including presepsin, soluble ST2 and copeptin, are also increasingly recognized as markers of cardiovascular injury in COVID-19 and can be associated with poor outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Assessment of cardiac bioenzymes at admission and their serial monitoring can help assess the severity of disease and predict mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future studies are needed to elude the critical importance of novel biomarkers.

Potential role of biochemical markers in the prognosis of COVID-19 patients

The global pandemic due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed an overall threat to modern medicine. The course of the disease is uncertain with varying forms of presentation that cannot be managed solely with clinical skills and vigor. Since its inception, laboratory medicine forms a backbone for the proper diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and prediction of the severity of the disease. Clinical biochemistry, an integral component of laboratory medicine, has been an unsung hero in the disease prognosis and severity assessment in COVID-19. This review attempts to highlight the biomarkers which have shown a significant role and can be used in the identification, stratification, and prediction of disease severity in COVID-19 patients. It also highlights the basis of the use of these biomarkers in the disease course and their implications.

Cardiac biomarkers alterations in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Reliable biomarkers are necessary for the risk stratification of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. This novel coronavirus is now established to affect several organs in addition to the lungs, most prominently the heart. This is achieved through direct damage to the myocardium and indirect immune-associated effects during the cytokine storm. We performed a literature review aiming to identify the prognostic value of alterations of cardiac biomarkers in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cardiac biomarkers are significantly elevated in patients with severe COVID-19 and are independent predictors of mortality. High-sensitivity troponin I and T are correlated with multiple inflammatory indexes and poor outcomes. Although cut-off values have been established for most of cardiac biomarkers, lower limits for troponins may have better prognostic values and longitudinal monitoring of cardiac biomarkers can help the clinician assess the patient's course. Additional measurements of NT-proBNP, can detect the subgroup of patients with poor prognosis.

GDF15: an emerging modulator of immunity and a strategy in COVID-19 in association with iron metabolism

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a pandemic of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 encodes the structural proteins spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N). The receptor-binding domain on the surface subunit S1 is responsible for attachment of the virus to angiotensin (Ang)-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is highly expressed in host cells. The cytokine storm observed in patients with COVID-19 contributes to the endothelial vascular dysfunction, which can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan failure, alteration in iron homeostasis, and death. Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), which belongs to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily of proteins, has a pivotal role in the development and progression of diseases because of its role as a metabolic regulator. In COVID-19, GDF15 activity increases in response to tissue damage. GDF15 appears to be a strong predictor of poor outcomes in patients critically ill with COVID-19 and acts as an 'inflammation-induced central mediator of tissue tolerance' via its metabolic properties. In this review, we examine the potential properties of GDF15 as an emerging modulator of immunity in COVID-19 in association with iron metabolism. The virus life cycle in host cell provides potential targets for drug therapy.

Admission NT-proBNP and outcomes in patients without history of heart failure hospitalized with COVID-19

Aims

We examined the value of N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) in patients admitted for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) without prior history of heart failure (HF) or cardiomyopathy.

Methods and results

Retrospective cohort of consecutive adults (N = 679; median age 59 years; 38.7% women; 87.5% White; 7.1% Black; 5.4% Asian; 34.3% Hispanic) admitted with documented COVID‐19 in an academic centre in Long Island, NY. Admission NT‐proBNP was categorized using the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association age‐specific criteria for acute presentations. We examined (i) mortality and the composite of death or mechanical ventilation and (ii) out‐of‐hospital, intensive care unit (ICU)‐free, and ventilator‐free days at 28 days. Estimates were adjusted for confounders using a lasso selection process. Using age‐specific criteria, 417 patients (61.4%) had low, 141 (20.8%) borderline, and 121 (17.8%) high NT‐proBNP. Mortality was 5.8%, 20.6%, and 36.4% for patients with low, borderline, and high NT‐proBNP, respectively. In lasso‐adjusted models, high NT‐proBNP was associated with higher mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 2.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–4.39; P = 0.034] and composite endpoint rates (HR 1.66; 95%CI 1.04–2.66; P = 0.035). Patients with high NT‐proBNP had 32%, 33%, and 33% fewer out‐of‐hospital, ICU‐free, and ventilator‐free days compared with low NT‐proBNP counterparts. Results were consistent across age, sex, and race, and regardless of coronary artery disease or hypertension, except for stronger mortality signal with high NT‐proBNP in women.

Conclusions

In patients with COVID‐19 and no HF history, high admission NT‐proBNP is associated with higher mortality and healthcare resources utilization. Preventive strategies may be required for these patients.

The Prognostic Effect of Serum Albumin Level on Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread across the globe and significantly impacts health-care systems and strains resources, identifying prognostic factors to predict clinical outcome remains essential. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to further explore the prognostic value of serum hypoalbuminemia and other factors in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The primary endpoint was defined as the risk of in-hospital mortality. 300 patients were included in the analysis, with 56% being male and a mean (±SD) age of 61.5 ± 15.3 years. The mean (±SD) albumin was 2.86 ± 0.5 g/dL. Our analysis showed that patients with in-hospital mortality had lower albumin levels than patients without in-hospital mortality (2.6 ± 0.49 vs. 2.9 ± 0.48 g/dL, respectively, with P value = <0.001). A multivariant logistic regression analysis was subsequently conducted, and after adjustment, the serum albumin level remained a strong predictor of the primary outcome. Based on the data gathered, we were able to create a model predictive of mortality in this patient group based on the serum albumin level and other pertinent factors. In this model, with all other variables remaining constant, each one-unit increase in albumin is estimated to reduce the odds of mortality by 73%. Our results strengthen the current available data on the prognostic value of serum albumin in COVID-19 patients and provide a model to predict in-hospital mortality.