A series of 76 patients (77 % male, 54 ischemic and 17 nonischemic, left ventricular ejection fraction 22 % ± 7 % ) had blood samples drawn for assay of sgp130, oncostatin-M, N-ANP, N-BNP, and BNP. A composite end point of worsening pump failure (requiring hospitalization, intravenous therapy, or urgent heart transplantation) and pump failure death was used for follow-up.
During follow-up (up to 7 years), rate of worsening pump failure was 22.3 % , including death. N-ANP (5666 ± 3100 vs 7850 ± 12164 fmol/ml), N-BNP (278 ± 284 vs 250 ± 297 pmol/ml), and oncostatin-M (15 ± 28 vs 16 ± 63 pg/ml) were similar in those who incurred worsening pump failure and in others. Mean sgp130 levels were 389 ± 123 ng/ml in patients who developed worsening heart failure (Group A) and 289 ± 123 ng/ml in stable patients (Group B; p < 0.0001). Mean BNP was 567 ± 774 pg/ml in Group A and 307 ± 324 pg/ml in Group B (p < 0.05). By using a cutoff value of 286 ng/ml for gp130 in Kaplan-Meier analysis, we found that the rate of freedom from worsening heart failure was significantly higher in patients below compared with patients above this cutoff point (p = 0.03). In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, only sgp130 emerged as statistically significant (p < 0.001).
In addition to BNP, sgp130 could be useful in identifying patients at high risk for heart failure progression.