Prognostic Role of Tissue Iron Deficiency Measured by sTfR Levels in Heart Failure Patients without Systemic Iron Deficiency or Anemia.

Background. Iron deficiency (ID) is a significant, high-prevalence comorbidity in chronic heart failure (HF) that represents an independent predictor of a worse prognosis. However, a clear-cut diagnosis of ID in HF patients is not assured. The soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a marker that reflects tissue-level iron demand and may be an early marker of ID. However, the impact of sTfR levels on clinical outcomes in non-anemic HF patients with a normal systemic iron status has never been evaluated. Methods. This is a post hoc analysis of an observational, prospective cohort study of 1236 patients with chronic HF of which only those with normal hemoglobin levels and a normal systemic iron status were studied. The final cohort consisted of 215 patients. Tissue ID was defined as levels of sTfR > 75th percentile (1.65 mg/L). Our aim was to describe the association between sTfR and clinical outcomes (all-cause death and HF hospitalization) and to explore its association with a wide array of serum biomarkers. Results. The sTfR level (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.13-1.96, p = 0.005) and tissue ID (HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.22-3.75, p = 0.008) was associated with all-cause death. However, we found no association between sTfR levels and the risk of HF hospitalization. Furthermore, high sTfR levels were associated with a worse biomarker profile indicating myocardial damage (troponin and NT-proBNP), systemic inflammation (CRP and albumin), and impaired erythropoiesis (erythropoietin). Conclusions. In this cohort, the presence of tissue ID defined by sTfR levels is an independent factor for all-cause death in patients with normal systemic iron parameters.

Soluble Transferrin Receptor as Iron Deficiency Biomarker: Impact on Exercise Capacity in Heart Failure Patients.

The soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) is a marker of tissue iron status, which could indicate an increased iron demand at the tissue level. The impact of sTfR levels on functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) in non-anemic heart failure (HF) patients with otherwise normal systemic iron status has not been evaluated. We conducted an observational, prospective, cohort study of 1236 patients with chronic HF. We selected patients with normal hemoglobin levels and normal systemic iron status. Tissue iron deficiency (ID) was defined as levels of sTfR > 75th percentile (1.63 mg per L). The primary endpoints were the distance walked in the 6 min walking test (6MWT) and the overall summary score (OSS) of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). The final study cohort consisted of 215 patients. Overall QoL was significantly worse (51 ± 27 vs. 39 ± 20, p-value = 0.006, respectively), and the 6 MWT distance was significantly worse in patients with tissue ID when compared to patients without tissue ID (206 ± 179 m vs. 314 ± 155, p-value < 0.0001, respectively). Higher sTfR levels, indicating increased iron demand, were associated with a shorter distance in the 6 MWT (standardized ß = -0.249, p < 0.001) and a higher MLHFQ OSS (standardized ß = 0.183, p-value = 0.008). In this study, we show that in patients with normal systemic iron parameters, higher levels of sTfR are strongly associated with an impaired submaximal exercise capacity and with worse QoL.

Blood Differential Gene Expression in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure and Systemic Iron Deficiency: Pathways Involved in Pathophysiology and Impact on Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency is a common disorder in patients with heart failure and is related with adverse outcomes and poor quality of life. Previous experimental studies have shown biological connections between iron homeostasis, mitochondrial metabolism, and myocardial function. However, the mechanisms involved in this crosstalk are yet to be unfolded. METHODS: The present research attempts to investigate the intrinsic biological mechanisms between heart failure and iron deficiency and to identify potential prognostic biomarkers by determining the gene expression pattern in the blood of heart failure patients, using whole transcriptome and targeted TaqMan® low-density array analyses. RESULTS: We performed a stepwise cross-sectional longitudinal study in a cohort of chronic heart failure patients with and without systemic iron deficiency. First, the full transcriptome was performed in a nested case-control exploratory cohort of 7 paired patients and underscored 1128 differentially expressed transcripts according to iron status (cohort1#). Later, we analyzed the messenger RNA levels of 22 genes selected by their statistical significance and pathophysiological relevance, in a validation cohort of 71 patients (cohort 2#). Patients with systemic iron deficiency presented lower mRNA levels of mitochondrial ferritin, sirtuin-7, small integral membrane protein 20, adrenomedullin and endothelin converting enzyme-1. An intermediate mitochondrial ferritin gene expression and an intermediate or low sirtuin7 and small integral membrane protein 20 mRNA levels were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and heart failure admission ((HR 2.40, 95% CI 1.04-5.50, p-value = 0.039), (HR 5.49, 95% CI 1.78-16.92, p-value = 0.003), (HR 9.51, 95% CI 2.69-33.53, p-value < 0.001), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic heart failure present different patterns of blood gene expression depending on systemic iron status that affect pivotal genes involved in iron regulation, mitochondrial metabolism, endothelial function and cardiovascular physiology, and correlate with adverse clinical outcomes.

An evaluation of the neuroprotective effects of melatonin in an in vitro experimental model of age-induced neuronal apoptosis.

The neuroprotective effects of melatonin in an experimental model of aging-induced apoptosis have been examined. Cerebellar granule neurons show characteristics of apoptosis after 17 days in culture (DV). The addition of melatonin to neuronal cell cultures (100-500 mum) resulted in neuroprotective and antiapoptotic effects, which were revealed by nuclear condensed cell counting. In a thorough analysis by Western-blot of the potential pathways responsible for melatonin's neuroprotective effects, we found an increase in the activation of prosurvival Akt. Subsequently GSK3beta inhibition and an increase in p-FOXO1 phosphorylation occurred. In this model of aging, apoptosis was associated with an elevated DNA damage, as demonstrated by an increase in the activation of ataxia telangiectasia muted (ATM). Subsequently, downstream targets such as p53 were activated. Furthermore, the process of DNA damage was coupled to an increase in the expression of certain proteins involved in cell cycle regulation; these were cyclin D and the proapoptotic transcription factor E2F-1. We conclude that the antiapoptotic effects of melatonin were mediated by two potential mechanisms: by increasing the activity of prosurvival pathways via Akt and by the prevention of DNA damage (via ATM inhibition) followed by the reduction of cell cycle re-entry.