Abstract
Background. Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation are major mechanisms involved in the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF). Serum uric acid (sUA) is related to CHF severity and could represent a marker of xanthine-oxidase activation. The relationship between sUA, oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation markers was assessed in patients with moderate-severe CHF and reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF).
Methods. In 57 patients with stable CHF, functional NYHA class III, with EF<40%, the LV function was assessed by N-terminal of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and echocardiographically through the EF and E/e’ ratio, a marker of LV filling pressures. The relationship between LV function, sUA, malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) as OS markers and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) as markers of systemic inflammation was evaluated.
Results. The mean sUA level was 7.9 ± 2.2 mg/dl, and 61% of the CHF patients had hyperuricemia. CHF patients with elevated LV filling pressures (E/e’ ≥ 13) had higher sUA (8.6 ± 2.3 vs. 7.3 ± 1.4, p=0.08) and NT-proBNP levels (643±430 vs. 2531±709, p=0.003) and lower EF (29.8 ± 3.9 % vs. 36.3 ± 4.4 %, p=0.001). There was a significant correlation between sUA and IL-6 (r = 0.56, p<0.001), MDA (r= 0.49, p= 0.001), MPO (r=0.34, p=0.001) and PON-1 levels (r= −0.39, p= 0.003).
Conclusion. In CHF, hyperuricemia is associated with disease severity. High sUA levels in CHF with normal renal function may reflect increased xanthine-oxidase activity linked with chronic inflammatory response.