Associations between neurohormonal and inflammatory activation and heart failure in children.
BACKGROUND
Adult heart failure (HF) has been shown to be associated with neuroendocrine and inflammatory activation. We hypothesize that neuroendocrine and inflammatory activation also associate with symptom severity and echocardiographic measurements in pediatric HF.


METHODS
Nineteen children with HF were divided into 3 symptom severity groups. Measurements were made of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV shortening fraction (LVSF), LV shortening fraction Z score (LVSFz), and LV end-systolic (LVSDz) and diastolic diameter Z scores. Blood levels of N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II were measured.


RESULTS
NT-proBNP and hsCRP were significantly elevated with more severe symptoms (P < or = .003) and discriminated between clinical severity groups (volume under the receiver operating characteristic surface = 0.58 and 0.62, P = .007 and P = .002, respectively). NT-proBNP was negatively associated with LV ejection fraction, LVSF, and LVSFz (P < or = .05) and positively associated with LVSDz (P < .001). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein was negatively associated with LVSF (P = .02) and positively associated with NT-proBNP (P = .03). Tumor necrosis factor alpha was negatively associated with LVSF and LVSFz (P < or = .03) and positively associated with LVSDz and NT-proBNP (P < or = .02). Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II was negatively associated with LVSFz (P = .03).


CONCLUSIONS
Neuroendocrine and inflammatory activation are associated with more severe symptoms and worse cardiac characteristics in pediatric HF. Blood levels of these biomarkers could be used to better assess the severity of HF in children.
Ratnasamy
Christopher
C
Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
Kinnamon
Daniel D
DD
Lipshultz
Steven E
SE
Rusconi
Paolo
P
D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002097:C-Reactive Protein