Impact of Sacubitril/Valsartan on Circulating microRNA in Patients with Heart Failure

The association of serum hsa-miR-21-5p expression with the severity and prognosis of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

Heart failure poses a huge burden on the global population, and approximately 50% cases have reduced ejection fraction, namely, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The research was supposed to explore the relationship between serum hsa-miR-21-5p expression and the severity/prognosis of HFrEF.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 105 HFrEF patients and 86 healthy volunteers. RT-qPCR was used for the detection of serum hsa-miR-21-5p levels. Whether serum hsa-miR-21-5p expression correlated to cardiac function and hemodynamic indicators was evaluated using Spearman correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic and Kaplan-Meier analyses were implemented to evaluate the predictive significance of serum hsa-miR-21-5p for cardiovascular re-hospitalization and cardiovascular deaths in HFrEF patients. Independent risk factors for cardiovascular deaths were analyzed based on COX regression.

RESULTS

Higher heart rate, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), left atrial diameter (LAD), systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), and hsa-miR-21-5p as well as lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were detected in the HFrEF patients than in the controls. Hsa-miR-21-5p expression increased in HFrEF patients with the increase of NYHA grade. Serum hsa-miR-21-5p expression in HFrEF patients was positively relevant to NT-pro-BNP, LAD, sPAP, PVR, and PCWP but negatively related to LVEF and LVFS. Serum hsa-miR-21-5p had a high predictive value for cardiovascular re-hospitalization and cardiovascular deaths in HFrEF patients. High hsa-miR-21-5p expression was an independent dangerous factor for cardiovascular deaths.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, hsa-miR-21-5p expression in HFrEF patients is correlated with disease severity and the risk of cardiovascular re-hospitalization and cardiovascular deaths in HFrEF patients, indicating a new direction for evaluating the disease situation and prognosis.

Left bundle branch pacing and cardiac remodeling in HF patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: epigenetic pathways and clinical outcomes

Background

Left bundle branch (LBB) pacing could achieve cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients who cannot be resynchronized via the placement of the left ventricle (LV) lead into the coronary sinus. LBB pacing could improve cardiovascular outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients with LBB block who are affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Study hypothesis

LBB pacing could increase the number of CRT responders and lead to the best clinical outcomes in HF patients with T2DM, inducing cardiac remodeling and improving left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) via microRNA (miR) modulation.

Methods

In a multicenter observational study, we enrolled 334 HF patients with LBB block and an indication to receive LBB pacing for CRT. In these patients, we evaluated the CRT responder rate, clinical outcomes, and miR expression at 1 year of follow-up.

Results

At 1 year of follow-up, we had 223 responders (66.8%), 132 hospitalizations for HF (39.5%), 24 cardiac deaths (7.2%), and 37 all-cause deaths (11.1%), with a higher rate of HF hospitalizations (77 (69.4%) vs 55 (24.7%), p < 0.05), and cardiac deaths (13 (11.7% vs 11 (4.9%), p < 0.05) in non-responders vs responders. At the end of follow-up, we found the lowest expression of miR-26, miR-29, miR-30, miR-92, and miR-145 in LBB-pacing non-responders vs responders (p < 0.05), and a direct correlation between miR-30 (0.340, [0.833-1.915]; p 0.001), the 6-minute-walking test (6MWT; 0.168, [0.008-0.060]; p 0.011), angiotensin-receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI; 0.157, [0.183-4.877]; p 0.035), sodium-glucose-transporter-2 inhibitors (0.245, [2.242-7.283]; p 0.001), and LVEF improvements. C reactive protein (CRP) inversely correlated with LVEF improvement (-0.220, [-(0.066-0.263)]; p 0.001). ARNI (1.373, CI 95% [1.007-1.872], p 0.045), miR-30 (2.713, CI 95% [1.543-4.769], p 0.001), and 6MWT (1.288, CI 95% [1.084-1.998], p 0.001) were predictors of LBB pacing responders at 1 year of follow-up.

Conclusion

LBB-pacing responders evidenced miR modulation, which was linked to significant improvement of the cardiac pump. Specifically, miR-30 was linked to cardiac pump improvement and predicted responders at 1 year of follow-up in patients with T2DM.

Effects of sacubitril/valsartan on the functional capacity of real-world patients in Italy: the REAL.IT study on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) significantly affects the morbidity, mortality, and quality of life of patients. New therapeutic strategies aim to improve the functional capacity and quality of life of patients while controlling HF-related risks. Real-world data on both the functional and cardiopulmonary exercise capacities of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction upon sacubitril/valsartan use are lacking.

METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study, called REAL.IT, was performed based on the data collected from the electronic medical records of nine specialized HF centers in Italy. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed at baseline and after 12 months of sacubitril/valsartan therapy, monitoring carbon dioxide production (VCO2) and oxygen consumption (VO2).

RESULTS

The functional capacities of 170 patients were evaluated. The most common comorbidities were hypertension and diabetes (i.e., 53.5 and 32.4%, respectively). At follow-up, both the VO2 peak (from 15.1 ± 3.7 ml/kg/min at baseline to 17.6 ± 4.7 ml/kg/min at follow-up, p < 0.0001) and the predicted % VO2 peak (from 55.5 ± 14.1 to 65.5 ± 16.9, p < 0.0001) significantly increased from baseline. The VO2 at the anaerobic threshold (AT-VO2) increased from 11.5 ± 2.6 to 12.5 ± 3.3 ml/kg/min (p = 0.021), and the rate ratio between the oxygen uptake and the change in work (ΔVO2/Δwork slope) improved from 9.1 ± 1.5 to 9.9 ± 1.6 ml/min/W (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Sacubitril/valsartan improves the cardiopulmonary capacity of patients with HFrEF in daily clinical practice in Italy.

Inflammation in acute heart failure

Acute heart failure (AHF) represents a common clinical scenario that requires prompt evaluation and therapy and that is characterized by a high risk of mortality or subsequent rehospitalizations. The pathophysiology leading to AHF decompensation is still not fully understood. Significant activation of inflammatory pathways has been identified in patients with AHF, particularly in its most severe forms, and it has been hypothesized that systemic inflammation has a role in AHF pathogenesis. Several inflammatory mediators and cytokines, such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-1, soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 and galectin-3, have been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis, development and worsening of this condition with an independent prediction of adverse outcomes. This manuscript reviews the prevalence and prognostic value of systemic inflammation in AHF, as well as the potential role of anti-inflammatory therapies, focusing on available evidence from clinical trials and ongoing studies.