ST2 and adrenomedullin in heart failure.

ST2 is the receptor for interleukin-33, a cytokine with antihypertrophic and antifibrotic effects on the myocardium. Serum levels of the soluble form of ST2 serve as a biomarker for ventricular biomechanical strain and provide prognostic information in patients who have symptomatic heart failure. Adrenomedullin is a vasoactive peptide whose actions run counter to the physiologic derangements of clinical heart failure. It appears that measurements of serum adrenomedullin levels can be used to identify those patients who have advanced heart failure and who are at increased risk for heart failure-related death.