ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is one of the main reasons for morbidity and mortality worldwide. In addition to the classic biomarker NT-proBNP, new biomarkers like ST2 and Pentraxin-3 (Ptx-3) have emerged as potential tools in stratifying risk in cardiac patients. Indeed, multimarker approaches to estimate prognosis of STEMI patients have been proposed and their potential clinical impact requires investigation. In our study, in 147 patients with STEMI, NT-proBNP as well as serum levels of ST2 and Ptx-3 were evaluated. During two-year follow-up (FU; 734.2 ± 61.2 d) results were correlated with risk for cardiovascular mortality (CV-mortality). NT-proBNP (HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.21–2.21, p = 0.001) but also ST2 (HR = 1.000022, 95% CI = 1.00–1.001, p < 0.001) were shown to be reliable predictors of CV-mortality, while the highest predictive power was observed with Ptx-3 (HR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.63–5.39, p < 0.001). When two biomarkers were combined in a multivariate Cox regression model, relevant improvement of risk assessment was only observed with NT-proBNP+Ptx-3 (AIC = 209, BIC = 214, p = 0.001, MER = 0.75, MEV = 0.64). However, the highest accuracy was seen using a three-marker approach (NT-proBNP + ST2 + Ptx-3: AIC = 208, BIC = 214, p < 0.001, MER = 0.77, MEV = 0.66). In conclusion, after STEMI, ST2 and Ptx-3 in addition to NT-proBNP were associated with the incidence of CV-mortality, with multimarker approaches enhancing the accuracy of prediction of CV-mortality.

Introduction: COVID-19 survivors reveal an increased long-term risk for cardiovascular disease. Biomarkers like troponins and sST-2 improve stratification of cardiovascular risk. Nevertheless, their prognostic value for identifying long-term cardiovascular risk after having survived COVID-19 has yet to be evaluated. Methods: In this single-center study, admission serum biomarkers of sST-2 and hs-TnI in a single cohort of 251 hospitalized COVID-19 survivors were evaluated. Concentrations were correlated with major cardiovascular events (MACE) defined as cardiovascular death and/or need for cardiovascular hospitalization during follow-up after hospital discharge [FU: 415 days (403; 422)]. Results: MACE was a frequent finding during FU with an incidence of 8.4% (cardiovascular death: 2.8% and/or need for cardiovascular hospitalization: 7.2%). Both biomarkers were reliable indicators of MACE (hs-TnI: sensitivity = 66.7% & specificity = 65.7%; sST-2: sensitivity = 33.3% & specificity = 97.4%). This was confirmed in a multivariate proportional-hazards analysis: besides age (HR = 1.047, 95% CI = 1.012–1.084, p = 0.009), hs-TnI (HR = 4.940, 95% CI = 1.904–12.816, p = 0.001) and sST-2 (HR = 10.901, 95% CI = 4.509–29.271, p < 0.001) were strong predictors of MACE. The predictive value of the model was further improved by combining both biomarkers with the factor age (concordance index hs-TnI + sST2 + age = 0.812). Conclusion: During long-term FU, hospitalized COVID-19 survivors, hs-TnI and sST-2 at admission, were strong predictors of MACE, indicating both proteins to be involved in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, it has become clear that patients with diabetes are at risk for more severe and fatal COVID-19. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a major risk factor for adverse COVID-19 outcomes. The goal of study was to assess the characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 with or without T2D in the hospital and at 10-month follow-up (FU). Methods: A total of 2486 hospitalized patients in the first wave of COVID-19 were analyzed according to the absence/presence of T2D, with 2082 (84.1%) patients in the control COVID-19 group and 381 (15.5%) in the T2D group. Twenty-three patients had other types of diabetes and were therefore excluded from the study. In-hospital mortality and cardiovascular endpoints (myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular deaths and hospitalizations and composite endpoints) at the 10-month follow-up were analyzed. To remove bias in patients’ characteristics disproportion, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was used for hospital and follow-up endpoints. Results. Hospital mortality was considerably greater in T2D than in the control COVID-19 group (13.89% vs. 4.89%, p < 0.0001), and the difference remained after PSM (p < 0.0001). Higher glucose-level T2D patients had a higher mortality rate (p = 0.018). The most significant predictors of hospital death in T2D patients were a high CRP, glucose, neutrophils count, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. The follow-up of patients over 10 months showed a non-significant increase for all endpoints in the T2D group (p > 0.05), and significant increase in stroke (p < 0.042). After the PSM, the difference decreased in stroke (p = 0.090), but became significant in cardiovascular hospitalizations (p = 0.023). Conclusion. In T2D patients with COVID-19, an increase in hospital mortality, stroke and cardiovascular hospitalizations rates in the follow-up was observed.

Ренин-ангиотензиновая система при новой коронавирусной инфекции COVID-2019

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects not only the respiratory system, but also the cardiovascular system in 20-28% of cases, causing endothelial dysfunction, vasculitis, hyper- and hypocoagulation, myocarditis, endothelial dysfunction and other adverse effects. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases has been shown to worsen the disease severity and increase mortality from COVID-19. Recent studies have also found that elevations in some serum cardiovascular biomarkers can stratify the disease severity, in particular rates of hospitalizations to an internal medicine or intensive care unit, intubation, and mortality. They can be divided into markers of damage (TnT/I, creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and CPK-MB, myoglobin, NT-proBNP), coagulation (prothrombin time, fibrinogen and D-dimer), as well as prospective biomarkers for which the available evidence base is limited but there is a pathophysiological rationale (homocysteine and sST2). This review presents studies on the use of above serum biomarkers to stratify the risk of death in patients with COVID-19.

Хроническая сердечная недостаточность (ХСН) является одной из важнейших клинических проблем современной медицины, что связано с ее широкой распространенностью, низким качеством жизни больных, плохим прогнозом и высокой смертностью. ХСН является одним из последних звеньев кардиоваскулярного континуума, который начинается с факторов риска артериальной гипертензии (АГ) и приводит к развитию ишемической болезни сердца, инфаркта миокарда с последующим снижением насосной функции сердца. Ранняя диагностика АГ и оценка риска позволят вовремя воздействовать на звенья цепи кардиоваскулярного континуума. В последнее время в диагностике сердечной недостаточности и кардиоваскулярных событий огромное значение имеют сывороточные биомаркеры, которые отражают различные патофизиологические аспекты функционирования организма. В частности, выделяют биомаркеры апоптоза (фактор некроза опухоли альфа, Fas), ремоделирования внеклеточного матрикса (металлопротеиназы), воспаления и фиброза (галектин-3, ST2, трансформирующий фактор роста бета 1). В обзоре представлена краткая характеристика вышеуказанных биомаркеров и их влияний на развитие ХСН и сердечно-сосудистых событий.