The complement system, an important arm of the innate immune system, is activated in heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that HF patients are characterized by an imbalance of alternative amplification loop components; including properdin and complement factor D and the alternative pathway inhibitor factor H. These components and the activation product, terminal complement complex (TCC), were measured ...

<p><i>BACKGROUND - </i>Alterations in the partly microbiota-dependent carnitine–γ-butyrobetaine (γBB)–trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) pathway have been linked to the progression of heart failure and atherosclerotic disease. We evaluated if circulating γBB, TMAO, and their common precursors carnitine and trimethyllysine (TML) were dysregulated after heart transplantation and associated with development ...

Aims To define plasma concentrations, determinants, and optimal prognostic cut-offs of soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) in women and men with chronic heart failure (HF).<p> <p>Methods and results Individual data of patients from the Biomarkers In Heart Failure Outpatient Study ...

Background and objective - Dysregulated Wnt signalling has been implicated in pulmonary hypertension (PH). We hypothesized that plasma levels of secreted Wnt proteins would be increased in patients with precapillary PH, correlate with indices of vascular resistance and cardiac function and give information on long-term prognosis.<p> <p>Methods - We measured the Wnt ligand Wnt5a and secreted Wnt ...

<p><i>Aims</i>: Heart failure (HF) is a multifactorial disease. Current treatments target only a fraction of the putative pathophysiological pathways. In patients with HF, reduced cardiac output and congestion cause increased gut wall permeability. It has been suggested that leakage of microbial products is detrimental to the heart, at least partly through activation of systemic inflammatory pathways, ...

<i>Background</i>: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) limits survival after heart transplantation, and the effect of different immunosuppressive regimens on CAV is not fully understood. The randomized SCHEDULE trial (Scandinavian Heart Transplant Everolimus De Novo Study With Early Calcineurin Inhibitors Avoidance) evaluated whether initiation of the proliferation signal inhibitor ...

<p><i>Background</i>: Elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) and complement activation are associated with detrimental effects of inflammation in coronary artery disease (CAD). The complement anaphylatoxins C5a and C3a interact with their receptors; the highly inflammatory C5aR1, and the C5aR2 and C3aR. We evaluated the effect of the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R)-antagonist tocilizumab on the expression of the ...

Inflammation is involved in initiation and progression of aortic stenosis (AS). However, the role of the complement system, a crucial component of innate immunity in AS, is unclear. We hypothesized that circulating levels of complement factor B (FB), an important component of the alternative pathway, are upregulated and could predict outcome in patients with severe symptomatic AS. Therefore, plasma ...

Objective: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that involves a range of inflammatory mediators. Although interleukin (IL)-9 has been related to inflammation, there are at present no data on its role in atherosclerosis. Here we have examined IL-9 and IL-9 receptor (IL-9R) systemically and locally in patients with coronary and carotid atherosclerosis. Methods: Plasma IL-9 was quantified ...

Background We recently showed that interleukin (IL)-6 inhibition by tocilizumab improves myocardial salvage in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the mechanisms for this effect are not clear.<p> <p>Methods In this exploratory sub-study of the ASSAIL-MI trial, we examined leukocyte differential counts and their relation to myocardial salvage and peak troponin T (TnT) in STEMI ...