LAUSR

Despite advances in the treatment, end-stage heart failure (HF) is a disease with a severe prognosis, showing an annual mortality rate of 30 to 50%. Due to a poor prognosis in this population of patients, it is necessary to accurately stratify the risk of death, including simple and effective prognostic markers. This study aimed to determine biomarkers associated with mortality in patients with end-stage HF. The study was a prospective analysis of optimally treated patients with end-stage HF, who were hospitalised at the Cardiology Department between 2016 and 2018. At the time of enrollment to the study routine laboratory tests, cardiopulmonary exercise tests, echocardiography and right heart catheterization were performed in all patients. Human Interleukin 33 (IL-33) and IL-1 Receptor Like 1 (IL1RL1) were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the commercially available kit (Human Il-33 and IL1RL1 ELISA kit, SunRedBio Technology Co, Ltd, Shanghai, China). Plasma concentration of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was measured using a commercially available kit (Human NTproBNP ELISA kit, Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). The endpoint was all-cause mortality during a one-year follow-up. The Medical University of Silesia's local Institutional Review Board approved the study protocol, and all patients provided informed consent. The final study group consisted of 282 patients (87.6% males, median age 57.0 years). One-year mortality rate in the analysed population was 28%. In a multivariate analysis, independent risk factors of death included NT-proBNP [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.056 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.024–1.089); P<0.001], sodium [HR 0.877 (95% CI: 0.815–0.944); p<0.001], IL33 [HR 0.977 (95% CI: 0.965- 0.989); p<0.001] and IL1RL1 [HR 1.015 (95% CI: 1.008–1.023); p<0.001) serum levels. Our study showed that lower sodium and IL-33 levels, as well as higher NT-proBNP and IL1RL1 levels are associated with an increased risk of death in patients with end-stage HF during a one-year follow-up. Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Medical University of SIlesia, Katowice, Poland