Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem characterized by inability of the heart to maintain sufficient output of blood. The systematic characterization of circulating proteins across different stages of HF may provide pathophysiological insights and identify therapeutic targets. Here we report application of aptamer-based proteomics to identify proteins associated with prospective HF incidence in a population-based cohort, implicating modulation of immunological, complement, coagulation, natriuretic and matrix remodeling pathways up to two decades prior to overt disease onset. We observe further divergence of these proteins from the general population in advanced HF, and regression after heart transplantation. By leveraging coronary sinus samples and transcriptomic tools, we describe likely cardiac and specific cellular origins for several of the proteins, including Nt-proBNP, thrombospondin-2, interleukin-18 receptor, gelsolin, and activated C5. Our findings provide a broad perspective on both cardiac and systemic factors associated with HF development.

Aims Bioactive adrenomedullin (bio-ADM) is a vascular-derived peptide hormone that has emerged as a promising biomarker for assessment of congestion in decompensated heart failure (HF). We aimed to evaluate diagnostic and prognostic performance of bio-ADM for HF in comparison to amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), with decision thresholds derived from invasive haemodynamic and population-based studies. Methods and resultsNormal reference ranges for bio-ADM were derived from a community-based cohort (n = 5060). Correlations with haemodynamic data were explored in a cohort of HF patients undergoing right heart catheterization (n = 346). Mortality and decision cutoffs for bio-ADM was explored in a cohort of patients presenting in the ER with acute dyspnoea (n = 1534), including patients with decompensated HF (n = 570). The normal reference range was 8-39 pg/mL. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for discrimination of elevated mean right atrial pressure (mRAP) and pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP) was 0.74 (95% CI = 0.67-0.79) and 0.70 (95% CI = 0.64-0.75), respectively, with optimal bio-ADM decision cutoff of 39 pg/mL, concordant with cubic spline analyses. NT-proBNP discriminated PAWP slightly better than mRAP (AUROC 0.73 [95% CI = 0.68-0.79] and 0.68 [95% CI = 0.61-0.75]). Bio-ADM correlated with (mRAP, r = 0.55) while NT-proBNP correlated with PAWP. Finally, a bio-ADM decision cutoff of 39 pg/mL associated with 30 and 90 day mortality and conferred a two-fold increased odds of HF diagnosis, independently from NT-proBNP. Conclusions Bio-ADM tracks with mRAP and associates with measures of systemic congestion and with mortality in decompensated HF independently from NT-proBNP. Our findings support utility of bio-ADM as a biomarker of systemic venous congestion in HF and nominate a decision threshold.

Plasma concentrations of many cardiovascular and inflammatory proteins are altered after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and may provide prognostic information. We conducted a large-scale proteomic analysis in patients with STEMI, correlating protein levels to infarct size and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) determined with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. We analysed 131 cardiovascular and inflammatory proteins using a multiplex proximity extension assay and blood samples obtained at baseline, 6, 24, and 96 h from the randomised clinical trial CHILL-MI. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging data at 4 ± 2 days and 6 months were available as per trial protocol. Using a linear regression model with bootstrap resampling and false discovery rate adjustment we identified five proteins (ST2, interleukin-6, pentraxin-3, interleukin-10, renin, and myoglobin) with elevated values corresponding to larger infarct size or worse LVEF and four proteins (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, TNF-related activation induced cytokine, interleukin-16, and cystatin B) with values inversely related to LVEF and infarct size, concluding that among 131 circulating inflammatory and cardiovascular proteins in the acute and sub-acute phase of STEMI, nine showed a relationship with infarct size and LVEF post-STEMI, with IL-6 and ST2 exhibiting the strongest association.

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Introduction: Bioactive adrenomedullin (bio-ADM) is a vascular-derived peptide hormone that has emerged as a promising biomarker for assessment of congestion in decompensated heart failure (HF). Hypothesis: We aimed to evaluate diagnostic and prognostic performance of bio-ADM for HF in comparison to amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), with decision thresholds derived from invasive hemodynamic and population-based studies. Methods and Results: Normal reference ranges (95% prediction interval) for bio-ADM were derived from a community-based cohort (n=5060): 8-39 pg/mL. In a cohort of HF patients undergoing right heart catheterization (n=346), bio-ADM was correlated with mean right atrial pressure (mRAP, r=0.55) and followed a concordant trajectory to mRAP after heart transplantation. In contrast, NT-proBNP was correlated with pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for discrimination of elevated mRAP and PAWP was 0.74 (95%CI=0.67-0.79) and 0.70 (95%CI=0.64-0.75), respectively, with optimal bio-ADM decision cutoff of 39 pg/mL, concordant with cubic spline analyses. NT-proBNP discriminated PAWP slightly better than mRAP (AUROC 0.73 [95%CI=0.68-0.79] and 0.68 [95%CI=0.61-0.75]). In a cohort of patients presenting with acute dyspnea (n=1534), including patients with decompensated HF (n=570), a bio-ADM decision cutoff of 39 pg/mL was associated with 30- and 90-day mortality and conferred a 2-fold increased odds of HF diagnosis, independently from NT-proBNP. Conclusions: Bio-ADM tracks with mRAP and associates with measures of systemic congestion and with mortality in decompensated HF independently from NT-proBNP. Our findings support utility of bio-ADM as a biomarker of systemic venous congestion in HF and nominate a decision threshold.