title: Human leukocyte antigen-G is upregulated in heart failure patients: a potential novel biomarker.
abstract: Immune activation and inflammation play critical roles in the development of heart failure (HF). Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a nonclassical, major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) protein, upregulated in the context of transplantation, malignancy, and inflammation, and has been correlated with various clinical outcomes. We sought to evaluate the utility of plasma HLA-G in identifying patients with HF. We conducted a single-center, cross-sectional pilot study involving 82 patients diagnosed with HF and 10 healthy controls. Concentrations of circulating HLA-G and inflammatory markers were detected with specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and quantified according to purified protein standards. The mean age of the patients was 49.1 ± 12.0 years and 62.2% were male. The median and interquartile range of HLA-G levels (U/ml) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in HF patients (63, 36-98) compared with controls (28, 22-40). Moreover, HLA-G levels that were similarly (p = 0.766) upregulated across all New York Heart Association functional classes. There was no significant correlation between serum HLA-G and other biomarkers. In conclusion, HLA-G is upregulated in patients diagnosed with HF. Its marked elevation even in New York Heart Association class I patients might indicate that serum HLA-G is a more sensitive marker than other classical HF biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: Prince Sultan Cardiac Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. alialmasoud@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almasood
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sheshgiri
authors.forename: Jemy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Mahsa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamali
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tumiati
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Diego H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Delgado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D059951:HLA-G Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D059951:HLA-G Antigens