title: Targeted anticytokine therapy and the failing heart.
abstract: Recent studies have identified the importance of proinflammatory mediators in the development and progression of chronic heart failure (CHF). The growing appreciation of the pathophysiologic consequences of sustained expression of proinflammatory mediators in preclinical and clinical CHF models culminated in a series of multicenter clinical trials that used targeted approaches to neutralize tumor necrosis factor in patients with moderate-to-advanced CHF. However, these targeted approaches have resulted in worsening CHF, thereby raising a number of important questions about what role, if any, proinflammatory cytokines play in the pathogenesis of CHF. This review summarizes what has been learned from the negative clinical trials, as well as the potential direction of future research in this area.
authors.affiliation: Winters Center for Heart Failure Research, Cardiology Section, Department of Medicine, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Administration Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. dmann@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Douglas L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D000068800:Etanercept; D006333:Heart Failure; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000502:physiology*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept