Corrigendum: Secretoneurin levels are higher in dilated cardiomyopathy than in ischaemic cardiomyopathy: preliminary results.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1297900.].

A Simple Risk Formula for the Prediction of COVID-19 Hospital Mortality.

SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. We aimed to assess the risk factors for hospital mortality in non-vaccinated patients during the 2021 spring wave in the Czech Republic. A total of 991 patients hospitalized between January 2021 and March 2021 with a PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 acute respiratory infection in two university hospitals and five rural hospitals were included in this analysis. After excluding patients with unknown outcomes, 790 patients entered the final analyses. Out of 790 patients included in the analysis, 282/790 (35.7%) patients died in the hospital; 162/790 (20.5) were male and 120/790 (15.2%) were female. There were 141/790 (18%) patients with mild, 461/790 (58.3%) with moderate, and 187/790 (23.7%) with severe courses of the disease based mainly on the oxygenation status. The best-performing multivariate regression model contains only two predictors-age and the patient's state; both predictors were rendered significant (p < 0.0001). Both age and disease state are very significant predictors of hospital mortality. An increase in age by 10 years raises the risk of hospital mortality by a factor of 2.5, and a unit increase in the oxygenation status raises the risk of hospital mortality by a factor of 20.

Mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: Effects of treatment options (vitamin D, anticoagulation, isoprinosine, ivermectin) assessed by propensity score matching, retrospective analysis.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially in hospitalized high-risk patients. We aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment options (vitamin D, anticoagulation, isoprinosine, ivermectin) on hospital mortality in non-vaccinated patients during the 2021 spring wave in the Czech Republic. METHODS: Initially, 991 patients hospitalized in the period January 1, 2021, to March 31, 2021, with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 acute respiratory infection in two university and five rural hospitals were included in the study. After exclusion of patients with an unknown outcome, a total of 790 patients entered the final analysis. The effects of different treatments were assessed in this cohort by means of propensity score matching. RESULTS: Of the 790 patients, 282 patients died in the hospital; 37.7% were male and 33.3% were female. Age, sex, state of the disease, pneumonia, therapy, and several comorbidities were matched to simulate a case-control study. For anticoagulation treatment, 233 cases (full-dose) vs. 233 controls (prophylactic dose) were matched. The difference in mortality was significant in 16 of the 50 runs. For the treatment with isoprinosine, ivermectin, and vitamin D, none of the 50 runs led to a significant difference in hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic-dose anticoagulation treatment in our study was found to be beneficial in comparison with the full dose. Supplementation with vitamin D did not show any meaningful benefit in terms of lowering the hospital mortality. Neither ivermectin nor, isoprinosine was found to significantly decrease hospital mortality.

Secretoneurin levels are higher in dilated cardiomyopathy than in ischaemic cardiomyopathy: preliminary results.

Background: Secretoneurin (SN) is a neuropeptide with potential utility as a biomarker of cardiovascular episodes. The main effect of SN is mediated through its inhibition of calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), which influences calcium handling. We aimed to associate the levels of SN in plasma with different causes of heart failure. Methods: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with ischaemic (ICM) and dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathy from the outpatient heart failure clinic and healthy individuals. SN was analysed from venous blood by use of the ELISA method. SN plasma levels were compared in DCM, ICM and healthy individuals with non-parametric tests. Results: A total of 53 patients (81.1% male, 18.9% female; mean age 67.9 ± 12.6 years) and 34 healthy individuals (38% male, 62% female) were included in the analysis. Plasma SN levels were significantly higher in the dilated cardiomyopathy (38.8 ± 27 pmol/L) as compared with the ischaemic cardiomyopathy (19.7 ± 22.6 pmol/L) group (P = 0.006). There was no significant difference between females vs. males (27.1 ± 23 vs. 25.5 ± 26.2 pmol/L, P = NS). Plasma SN levels allowed DCM and ICM to be differentiated with 88% sensitivity and 61% specificity (P = 0.007), the cut of value is 13.3 pmol/L. Plasma SN levels differed significantly between healthy volunteers and both ICM (P < 0.0001) and DCM (P = 0.049). Plasma SN levels did not differ according to age and were not associated with comorbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction, heart failure medication, troponin, creatinine, or natriuretic peptide plasma levels. Conclusion: Plasma secretoneurin levels differed significantly in DCM vs. ICM, being higher in the former. Based on plasma SN levels, discrimination between DCM and ICM might be possible. Healthy individuals produce higher SN plasma levels than stable HFrEF patients.

Secretoneurin as a Novel Biomarker of Cardiovascular Episodes: Are We There Yet? A Narrative Review.

Secretoneurin (SN) is a 33 amino-acid evolutionary conserved neuropeptide from the chromogranin peptide family. SN's main effects may be cardioprotective and are believed to be mediated through its inhibition of calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), which influences intracellular calcium handling. SN inhibition of CaMKII suppresses calcium leakage from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through the ryanodine receptor. This action may reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and calcium-dependent remodelling in heart failure. SN is also involved in reducing the intracellular reactive oxygen species concentration, modulating the immune response, and regulating the cell cycle, including apoptosis. SN can predict mortality in different disease states, beyond the classical risk factors and markers of myocardial injury. Plasma SN levels are elevated soon after an arrhythmogenic episode. In summary, SN is a novel biomarker with potential in cardiovascular medicine, and probably beyond.

Use of telemedicine in patients with heart failure.

Chronic heart failure (HF), like any chronic disease, is a medical and socioeconomic burden. The number of patients with HF is increasing and our effort is to apply the most effective way of care in practice, preferably together with using telemedicine. Early diagnosis, therapy establishment and reduction of rehospitalizations play the key role in HF management. For patients for whom we add telemedicine (telephone consultation, physiological data transfer, data transfer from implantable devices, teleconsultation) and especially if we are able to provide the background of a well-functioning telemedicine center that is able to respond promptly to the data, we can recognize and respond to the deterioration in health status in a timely manner. Telemedicine has benefit in all aspects of care mentioned above, but mostly in the reduction of re-hospitalizations, which is related to the reduction of morbidity and mortality. Telemedicine in HF is also cost-effective.