Association of lipoproteins with cytokines and cytokine receptors in heart failure patients: Differences between ischaemic versus idiopathic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Aims The observation that low total cholesterol predicted poor survival in patients with chronic heart failure, has questioned the beneficial effect of lipid-lowering in this population. This study investigated the relation between lipoprotein concentrations and the levels of interleukin (IL)-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and the soluble TNF-α receptors in patients with chronic heart failure due to coronary artery disease (CAD) or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM).

Methods and results Seventy-one patients with chronic heart failure due to CAD (n=36) or IDCM (n=35) were enrolled. Plasma concentrations of lipoproteins, IL-6, TNF-α, soluble TNF-α receptor 1 (sTNFR1) and 2 (sTNFR2) were measured. Total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (CHOL/HDL) correlated with levels of TNF-α (r=0.24, P=0.035), sTNFR1 (r=0.32, P=0.008) and sTNFR2 (r=0.37, P=0.002). In the CAD group, CHOL/HDL and triglycerides (TG) correlated with sTNFR2 (r=0.48, P=0.005 for CHOL/HDL, r=0.40, P=0.015 for TG). No relation was found between lipoproteins and cytokines or sTNF-α receptors for IDCM patients (P>0.1).

Conclusion An atherogenic lipid profile favoured the inflammatory process in patients with heart failure due to CAD. No relation between lipoproteins and cytokines was detected in case of IDCM.

Heart failure, Lipoproteins, Cytokines, Inflammation