Inflammatory biomarkers are not predictive of intermediate-term risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in stable CHF patients.

BACKGROUND

Elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are associated with increased mortality in patients with heart failure (HF).

HYPOTHESIS

: The aim of the current study was to assess the correlation between circulating biomarkers and ventricular tachyarrhythmias among patients with HF.

METHODS

Blood samples from 50 stable ambulatory HF patients with moderate to severe systolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) were analyzed for interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and BNP. Thereafter, the patients were followed for a mean period of 152 +/- 44 days, during which ventricular tachyarrhythmias were recorded by the ICDs.

RESULTS

Follow-up data were obtained from 47 patients. Of them, 45 (96%) had ischemic cardiomyopathy, 38 (81%) had New York Heart Association class I-II, 43 (91%) were males, and the mean age was 68.6 +/- 11.1 years. During follow-up, 5 patients (11%) had nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT), 6 patients (13%) had sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) and 36 patients (76%) had no events. The circulating biomarkers' levels upon enrollment were not significantly different between patients who subsequently had NSVT or VT/VF and patients who were free of events.

CONCLUSIONS

No correlation was found between plasma levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, hsCRP and BNP and ventricular arrhythmic events among stable HF patients during an intermediate term follow-up of 5.1 months. Further studies are still required to assess the association between these biomarkers and long-term risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia.