| 1. |
- Ahmed, Abdulla, et al.
(författare)
-
Elevated plasma sRAGE and IGFBP7 in heart failure decrease after heart transplantation in association with haemodynamics
- 2020
-
Ingår i: ESC Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 2055-5822. ; 7:5, s. 2340-2353
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: Metabolic derangement is implicated in the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). We aimed to identify the dynamics of metabolic plasma proteins linked to end-stage HF and associated PH in relation to haemodynamics, before and after heart transplantation (HT).METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-one metabolic plasma proteins were analysed with proximity extension assay in 20 controls and 26 patients before and 1 year after HT. Right heart catheterizations were performed in the HF patients pre-operatively and 1 year after HT. Plasma levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) were higher in HF patients compared with controls (P < 0.0001) and decreased after HT (P < 0.0001), matching controls' levels. The decrease in sRAGE after HT correlated with improved mean pulmonary arterial pressure (rs = 0.7; P < 0.0001), pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (rs = 0.73; P < 0.0001), pulmonary vascular resistance (rs = 0.65; P = 0.00062), and pulmonary arterial compliance (rs = -0.52; P = 0.0074). The change in plasma IGFBP7 after HT correlated with improved mean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.71; P = 0.00011) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (rs = 0.71; P < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that plasma sRAGE may reflect passive pulmonary vascular congestion and the 'mechanical' state of the pulmonary vasculature in HF patients with or without related PH. Furthermore, sRAGE and IGFBP7 may provide additional insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms in HF and associated PH. Their potential clinical and therapeutic relevance in HF and associated PH need further investigation.
|
|
| 2. |
- Ahmed, Abdulla, et al.
(författare)
-
Prolargin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in heart failure after heart transplantation and their association with haemodynamics
- 2020
-
Ingår i: ESC Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 2055-5822. ; 7:1, s. 224-235
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: Remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key mechanism involved in the development and progression of heart failure (HF) but also functional in associated pulmonary hypertension (PH). Our aim was to identify plasma ECM proteins associated to end-stage HF and secondary PH in relation to haemodynamics, before and after heart transplantation (HT).METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty ECM plasma proteins were analysed with proximity extension assay in 20 controls and 26 HF patients pre-HT and 1 year post-HT. Right heart catherization haemodynamics were assessed in the patients during the preoperative evaluation and at the 1 year follow-up post-HT. Plasma levels of prolargin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) were elevated (P < 0.0001) in HF patients compared with controls and decreased (P < 0.0001) post-HT towards controls' levels. The decrease in prolargin post-HT correlated with improved mean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.63; P = 0.00091), stroke volume index (rs = -0.73; P < 0.0001), cardiac index (rs = -0.64; P = 0.00057), left ventricular stroke work index (rs = -0.49; P = 0.015), and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (rs = 0.7; P < 0.0001). The decrease in MMP-2 post-HT correlated with improved mean pulmonary artery pressure (rs = 0.58; P = 0.0025), mean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.56; P = 0.0046), pulmonary artery wedge pressure (rs = 0.48; P = 0.016), and N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (rs = 0.56; P = 0.0029).CONCLUSIONS: The normalization pattern in HF patients of plasma prolargin and MMP-2 post-HT towards controls' levels and their associations with improved haemodynamics indicate that prolargin and MMP-2 may reflect, in part, the aberrant ECM remodelling involved in the pathophysiology of HF and associated PH. Their potential clinical use as biomarkers or targets for future therapy in HF and related PH remains to be investigated.
|
|
| 3. |
- Ahmed, Salaheldin, et al.
(författare)
-
Elevated plasma endocan and BOC in heart failure patients decrease after heart transplantation in association with improved hemodynamics
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Heart and Vessels. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0910-8327 .- 1615-2573. ; 35:11, s. 1614-1628
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is rising with ageing population and constitutes a major health problem globally. A common complication of HF is pulmonary hypertension (PH) which negatively impacts survival. A pathophysiological association between HF and PH with tumorigenic processes has been suggested. We aimed to identify the plasma levels of, and the association between tumour-related proteins and hemodynamic improvements in patients with HF and PH due to left heart disease (LHD) before and 1-year after heart transplantation (HT). Methods: Forty-eight tumour-related proteins were measured with proximity extension assay in plasma from 20 controls and 26 HF patients before and 1-year after HT. Patients’ hemodynamics were measured with right heart catheterization. Results: Out of 48 proteins, specifically, plasma levels of endocan and brother of CDO (BOC) were elevated in end-stage HF patients compared to controls (p < 0.001), but decreased after HT (p < 0.01), towards controls’ levels. The decrease of endocan levels after HT correlated with improved mean pulmonary arterial pressure (rs = 0.80, p < 0.0001), pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (rs = 0.63, p = 0.0012), and pulmonary vascular resistance (rs = 0.70, p < 0.001). The decrease and normalization of BOC after HT correlated with decreased mean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.61 p = 0.0015) and NT-proBNP (rs = 0.57, p = 0.0022), as well as increased cardiac index (rs = − 0.51, p = 0.0086) and left-ventricular stroke work index (rs = − 0.57, p = 0.0039). Conclusion: Our results suggest that (i) plasma endocan in HF may reflect the state of pulmonary vascular congestion and PH-LHD, whereas (ii) plasma BOC may reflect the cardiac function and the hemodynamic overload in HF. The exact role of these proteins and their clinical applicability as biomarkers in HF and PH-LHD ought to be investigated in larger cohorts.
|
|
| 4. |
- Ahmed, Salaheldin, et al.
(författare)
-
Elevated plasma tyrosine kinases VEGF-D and HER4 in heart failure patients decrease after heart transplantation in association with improved haemodynamics
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Heart and Vessels. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1615-2573 .- 0910-8327. ; 35:6, s. 786-799
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are implicated in cardiovascular growth and remodelling. We aimed to identify the plasma levels of RTKs and related proteins and their association with haemodynamic alterations in heart failure (HF) and related pulmonary hypertension (PH) following heart transplantation (HT). Using proximity extension assay, 28 RTKs and related proteins were analysed in plasma from 20 healthy controls and 26 HF patients before and 1-year after HT. In end-stage HF, out of 28 RTKs, plasma vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) and human epidermal growth factor-4 (HER4) were elevated compared to controls (p < 0.001), but decreased (p < 0.0001) and normalised after HT. Following HT, plasma changes (Δ) of VEGF-D correlated with Δmean pulmonary artery pressure (rs = 0.65, p = 0.00049), Δpulmonary artery wedge pressure (rs = 0.72, p < 0.0001), Δpulmonary arterial compliance (PAC) (rs = - 0.52, p = 0.0083) and Δpulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) (rs = 0.58, p = 0.0032). ΔHER4 correlated with Δmean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.51, p = 0.012), ΔNT-proBNP (rs = 0.48, p = 0.016) and Δcardiac index (rs = - 0.56, p = 0.0044). In HF patients following HT, normalisation of VEGF-D reflected reversal of passive pulmonary congestion and restored PAC and PVR; whereas the normalisation of HER4 reflected decreased volume overload and improved cardiac function. The precise function of these proteins, their potential clinical use and pathophysiological relation in HF and related PH remain to be elucidated.
|
|
| 5. |
- Arvidsson, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
-
Matrix metalloproteinase 7 in diagnosis and differentiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Pulmonary Circulation. - : Wiley. - 2045-8932 .- 2045-8940. ; 9:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe disease for which diagnosis often is delayed. Matrix metalloproteinases have been suggested to play a role in vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension development. Our aim was therefore to investigate the potential role of matrix metalloproteinases as biomarkers in diagnosis and differentiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension in relation to various causes of dyspnea and pulmonary hypertension. Using proximity extension assays, 10 matrix metalloproteinases and associated proteins were analyzed in venous plasma from healthy controls (n = 20), as well as patients diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (n = 48), chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (n = 20), pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved (n = 33) or reduced (n = 36) ejection fraction, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction without pulmonary hypertension (n = 15). Plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2, -7, -9, -12 and TIMP-4 were elevated (p < 0.01) in pulmonary arterial hypertension compared to controls. Plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase-7 were furthermore lower (p < 0.0081) in pulmonary arterial hypertension than in all the other disease groups, but higher compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of matrix metalloproteinase-7 resulted in sensitivity of 58.7% and a specificity of 83.3% for detecting pulmonary arterial hypertension among the other disease groups. Plasma matrix metalloproteinase-7 may provide a potential new diagnostic tool to differentiate pulmonary arterial hypertension from other causes of dyspnea, including heart failure with or without pulmonary hypertension and healthy controls. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 may furthermore be involved in the development of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Future studies investigating the clinical usefulness of matrix metalloproteinase-7 in the differentiation and earlier diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as its relationship to pulmonary arterial hypertension pathogenesis, are encouraged.
|
|
| 6. |
- Arvidsson, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
-
Plasma proteoglycan prolargin in diagnosis and differentiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension
- 2021
-
Ingår i: ESC Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 2055-5822. ; 8:2, s. 1230-1243
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Right ventricular dysfunction may arise because of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Development of new diagnostic methods able to identify PAH and allow for earlier treatment initiation, before the development of vascular remodelling and manifest right heart failure (HF), could potentially improve prognosis. Proteoglycans and inflammatory proteins are involved in vascular remodelling. We aimed to investigate their potential as biomarkers to differentiate PAH in a dyspnoeic population. Methods and results: Plasma from 152 patients with PAH (n = 48), chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension (n = 20), pulmonary hypertension due to HF with reduced (n = 36) or preserved (n = 33) ejection fraction, and HF without pulmonary hypertension (n = 15) and 20 healthy controls were analysed with proximity extension assays. Haemodynamics were assessed in the patients with right heart catheterization. Plasma prolargin levels in PAH were lower compared with all the other studied disease groups (P < 0.001) but higher than the controls' levels (P = 0.003). Receiver operating characteristic curve of prolargin as a PAH-differentiating marker in a pooled population, encompassing all the other studied disease groups, had a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 83.3% (area under the curve = 0.84, P < 0.001). Prolargin correlated with the mean right atrial pressure (rs = 0.65, P < 0.001), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (rs = 0.64, P < 0.001), cardiac index (rs = −0.31, P = 0.029), stroke volume index (rs = −0.41, P = 0.004), right ventricular stroke work index (rs = −0.31, P = 0.032), six-minute walking distance (rs = −0.41, P = 0.005), and mixed venous blood oxygen saturation (rs = −0.42, P = 0.003). Conclusions: Plasma prolargin levels differentiate PAH patients from controls and the other investigated dyspnoea groups including HF. Its potential in PAH differentiation may be enhanced by inclusion in a multi-marker panel. Larger studies are needed to evaluate its discriminative ability of PAH in relation to other dyspnoea aetiologies and its potential role in PAH risk stratification and pathobiology.
|
|
| 7. |
- Bouzina, Habib, et al.
(författare)
-
Higher plasma fibroblast growth factor 23 levels are associated with a higher risk profile in pulmonary arterial hypertension
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Pulmonary Circulation. - : Wiley. - 2045-8932 .- 2045-8940. ; 9:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metabolic abnormalities are proposed to contribute to pulmonary arterial as well as right ventricular remodelling in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Among the proposed abnormalities are altered glucose and lipid processing, mitochondrial malfunction, oxidative stress as well as vitamin D and iron abnormalities. In the present study, we investigated 11 metabolic plasma biomarkers, with the hypothesis that metabolic proteins may mirror disease severity in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Using proximity extension assays, plasma metabolic biomarkers were measured in 48 pulmonary arterial hypertension patients at diagnosis and, in 33 of them, at an early treatment follow-up, as well as in 16 healthy controls. Among the studied metabolic biomarkers, plasma fibroblast growth factor-23 (p < 0.001), fibroblast growth factor-21 (p < 0.001), fatty acid binding protein 4 (p < 0.001) and lectin-like oxidised low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (p < 0.001) were increased and paraoxonase-3 was decreased (p < 0.001) in pulmonary arterial hypertension at diagnosis versus controls. Fibroblast growth factor-23 showed the strongest correlations to studied clinical parameters and was therefore selected for further analyses. Fibroblast growth factor-23 correlated specifically to mean right atrial pressure (r = 0.67, p < 0.001), six-min walking distance (r = −0.66, p < 0.001), NT-proBNP (r = 0.64, p < 0.001), venous oxygen saturation (r = −0.61, p < 0.001), cardiac index (r = −0.39, p < 0.007) and pulmonary vascular resistance (r = 0.37, p < 0.01). Fibroblast growth factor-23 correlated moreover to ESC/ERS (r = 0.72, p < 0.001) and the REVEAL risk score (r = 0.61, p < 0.001). Comparing early treatment follow-up with baseline, fibroblast growth factor-23 decreased (p < 0.02), with changes in fibroblast growth factor-23 correlating to changes in six-min walking distance (r = −0.56, p < 0.003), venous oxygen saturation (r = −0.46, p < 0.01), pulmonary vascular resistance (r = 0.43, p < 0.02), mean right atrial pressure (r = 0.38, p < 0.04) and cardiac index (r = −0.39, p < 0.04). Elevated plasma fibroblast growth factor-23 levels at pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis were associated with worse haemodynamics and a higher risk profile, and were decreased after the administration of pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific treatment.
|
|
| 8. |
- Bouzina, Habib, et al.
(författare)
-
Longitudinal changes in risk status in pulmonary arterial hypertension
- 2021
-
Ingår i: ESC Heart Failure. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2055-5822. ; 8:1, s. 680-690
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Low‐risk status in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) predicts better survival. The present study aimed to describe changes in risk status and treatment approaches over multiple clinical assessments in PAH, taking age and comorbidity burden into consideration.Methods and results: The study included incident patients from the Swedish PAH registry, diagnosed with PAH in 2008–2019. Group A (n = 340) were ≤75 years old with <3 comorbidities. Group B (n = 163) were >75 years old with ≥3 comorbidities. Assessments occurred at baseline, first‐year (Y1) and third‐year (Y3) follow‐ups. The study used an explorative and descriptive approach. Group A: median age was 65 years, 70% were female, and 46% had no comorbidities at baseline. Baseline risk assessment yielded low (23%), intermediate (66%), and high risk (11%). Among patients at low, intermediate, or high risk at baseline, 51%, 18%, and 13%, respectively, were at low risk at Y3. At baseline, monotherapy was the most common therapy among low (68%) and intermediate groups (60%), while dual therapy was the most common among high risk (69%). In patients assessed as low, intermediate, or high risk at Y1, 66%, 12%, and 0% were at low risk at Y3, respectively. Of patients at intermediate or high risk at Y1, 35% received monotherapy and 13% received triple therapy. In low‐risk patients at Y1, monotherapy (40%) and dual therapy (43%) were evenly distributed. Group B: median age was 77 years, 50% were female, and 44% had ≥3 comorbidities at baseline. At baseline, 8% were at low, 80% at intermediate, and 12% at high risk. Monotherapy was the most common therapy (62%) in Group B at baseline. Few patients maintained or reached low risk at follow‐ups.Conclusions: Most patients with PAH did not meet low‐risk criteria during the 3 year follow‐up. The first year from diagnosis seems important in defining the longitudinal risk status.
|
|
| 9. |
- Bouzina, Habib, et al.
(författare)
-
Low plasma stem cell factor combined with high transforming growth factor-α identifies high-risk patients in pulmonary arterial hypertension
- 2018
-
Ingår i: ERJ Open Research. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 2312-0541. ; 4:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), severe vasoconstriction and remodelling of small pulmonary arteries result in high mortality. Receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands, such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, modulate proliferation in PAH. Although the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit has been shown to be overexpressed in PAH, the expression and role of its ligand stem cell factor (SCF) remain unknown. However, low plasma SCF levels are known to be linked to higher cardiovascular mortality risk. Using proximity extension assays, we measured SCF and TGF-α in venous plasma from treatment-naïve PAH patients and healthy controls. Patients were stratified into risk classes based on PAH guidelines. Plasma SCF was decreased (p=0.013) and TGF-α was increased (p<0.0001) in PAH patients compared to controls. SCF correlated to pulmonary vascular resistance (r=-0.66, p<0.0001), cardiac index (r=0.66, p<0.0001), venous oxygen saturation (r=0.47, p<0.0008), mean right atrial pressure (r=-0.44, p<0.002) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic protein (r=-0.39, p<0.006). SCF was lower in "high-risk" compared to "intermediate-risk" (p=0.0015) or "low-risk" (p=0.0009) PAH patients. SCF and TGF-α levels combined (SCF/TGF-α) resulted in 85.7% sensitivity and 81.5% specificity for detecting high-risk patients (p<0.0001). Finally, REVEAL (Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management) risk scores in PAH patients correlated to SCF/TGF-α levels (r=-0.50, p=0.0003). In conclusion, low plasma SCF combined with high TGF-α identifies high-risk PAH patients at baseline. Lower circulating SCF levels, which are associated with worse haemodynamics, may be related to the c-Kit accumulation previously observed in PAH.
|
|
| 10. |
- Bouzina, Habib, et al.
(författare)
-
Plasma adrenomedullin peptides and precursor levels in pulmonary arterial hypertension disease severity and risk stratification
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Pulmonary Circulation. - : Wiley. - 2045-8932 .- 2045-8940. ; 10:3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adrenomedullin is a potent vasodilatory peptide, linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension pathology. Proximity extension assays were utilized to study plasma biomarkers related to vasoregulation, with focus on adrenomedullin peptides and precursor levels, collectively referred to as ADM. ADM was measured in 48 treatment-naïve pulmonary arterial hypertension patients at diagnosis, and in 31 of them at an early treatment follow-up. Plasma ADM was additionally assessed in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (n = 20) and pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved (HFpEF(PH)) (n = 33) or reduced (HFrEF(PH)) (n = 36) ejection fraction, as well as healthy controls (n = 16). ADM was studied in relation to pulmonary arterial hypertension hemodynamics, risk assessment, prognosis, treatment response, and differentiation. Plasma ADM levels in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients at diagnosis were higher than in healthy controls (p < 0.001), similar as in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients (p = ns), but lower compared to HFpEF(PH) (p < 0.03) and HFrEF(PH) (p < 0.001). In pulmonary arterial hypertension, specifically, plasma ADM at diagnosis correlated mainly to mean right atrial pressure (r = 0.73, p < 0.001), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (r = 0.75, p < 0.001), six-minute walking distance (r = –0.57, p < 0.001), and venous oxygen saturation (r = –0.57, p < 0.001). ADM also correlated to the ECS/ERS- (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) and REVEAL risk scores (r = 0.54, p < 0.001) at pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis. Plasma ADM in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients was unaltered at early treatment follow-up compared to baseline (p = ns). Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients with supra-median ADM at diagnosis showed worse overall survival than those with infra-median levels (median survival 34 versus 66 months, p = 0.0077). In conclusion, the present results suggest that baseline plasma ADM levels mirror disease severity, correlating to both ECS/ERS- and the REVEAL risk scores.
|
|
