Cardiology Letters 2020, 29(3):173-192

Cytokines in relation to heart failure

Steinkamp R¹, Radosinska J^{1, 2}

¹ Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava

² Center of Experimental Medicine, Institute for Heart Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

It is accepted that heart failure (HF) is largely influenced by inflammation. Since cytokines are the main "hormones" of the immune system, they have increasingly received attention in this context, especially due to the observation that blood levels of various cytokines correspond to the clinical outcomes of HF. The purpose of this review is to provide information about the cytokines involved in the HF syndrome, their connection to this disease and implementation in new treatment choices. Another aim is to elaborate on the complex relationship between the cytokines and the neurohumoral axis and involvement of inflammatory escalation in chronic HF. The increased bioavailability of specific inflammatory molecules indicates that inflammation is an omnipresent factor during HF. It is responsible for its induction and progression, but also for its maintenance, including remodeling and regeneration; or even the reoccurrence of adverse cardiac events. Nowadays, cytokines impose a conundrum: a problem that currently cannot be solved. Cytokines needed for the innate immune response are the same, which cause several diseases. Similarly, cytokines supposedly beneficial in the HF setting, can also be the cause of its clinical deterioration. This is the reason why we still do not possess adequate anti-cytokine therapy for HF treatment.

Keywords: cytokines; heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; inflammation

Published: March 1, 2020  Show citation