Soluble ST2 in Patients With Heart Failure"

Heart failure (HF), a complex and heterogeneous medical syndrome characterized by structural and functional cardiac abnormalities and hemodynamic disruptions, represents the end-stage manifestation of numerous cardiovascular disorders . HF is categorized into three groups based on the measurement of the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) according to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines issued in 2021: HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF, LVEF ≤ 40%), HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF, LVEF 41-49%), and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF, LVEF ≥ 50%) . Quantifying concentrations of circulating biomarkers plays a major role in most cardiovascular (CV) diseases, including (HF) . An ideal biomarker in HF should be measured non-invasively and at low cost, highly sensitive to allow for the early detection of the disease . N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) released by cardiac muscle tissue in response to abnormal volume load is an established indicator for the diagnosis and prognosis of HF . However, there are important limitations to natriuretic peptide (NP) testing in HF . Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2) is the circulating form of the interleukin-33 membrane receptor released in response to inflammation, fibrosis in various organs, and myocardium stress . Soluble (s)ST2 has been proposed as a useful biomarker for heart failure (HF) patient management. Myocardial damage or mechanical stress stimulate sST2 release. ST2 competes with a membrane bound receptor (ST2 ligand, or ST2L) for interleukin-33 (IL-33) binding, inhibiting the effects induced by the ST2L/IL-33 interaction so that excessive sST2 may contribute to myocardial fibrosis and ventricular remodelling. So biomarkers such as NT-proBNP and sST2 could potentially be used as surrogates for clinical outcomes in patients with HF and may be useful in monitoring disease progression and assessing the response to therapy .