title: Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha correlate with the six-minute walk test results in patients with mild to moderate heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, big endothelin-1 and cardiac troponins have been reported to correlate with the severity of heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single population of 80 outpatients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure the correlation between the patient's functional capacity, as evaluated at a 6-min walk test, the clinical parameters and plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, big endothelin-1 and cardiac troponins was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant inverse correlation was found with the patient's age (p < 0.0001), NYHA functional class (p < 0.0001), left ventricular dysfunction etiology (ischemic vs dilated cardiomyopathy, p < 0.0005), heart rate (p < 0.05), plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (p < 0.05) and of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (p < 0.0005). At multiple regression analysis a correlation was found between the 6-min walk test results and the patient's age (p < 0.05), NYHA functional class (p < 0.01), left ventricular dysfunction etiology (ischemic vs dilated cardiomyopathy, p < 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha plasma levels (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our patients with mild to moderate heart failure, a significant correlation was found between the results of the 6-min walk test and only the plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha among the laboratory parameters analyzed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University of Padua Medical School, Italy. giovanni.boffa@unipd.it
authors.forename: Giovanni Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Boffa
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaninotto
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nalli
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forni
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tiso
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Razzolini
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plebani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014336:Troponin / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D016138:Walking
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019332:Endothelin-1; D014336:Troponin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain