Circulating Levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and Periostin as Potential Biomarker for Coronary Artery Disease with Acute Heart Failure.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and associated comorbidities such as heart failure (HF) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, attributed to, at least partially, the lack of biomarkers for efficient disease diagnosis. The study intended to explore potential biomarkers for predicting the presence of HF in CAD patients.
METHODS: According to the presence of HF, 83 CAD patients with HF were assigned to the AHF group and 52 CAD patients without HF to the CAD group. Additionally, healthy controls (n = 52) were those who had received physical examinations at the same period. The serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricle-end diastolic volume (LVEDV), and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were detected 3 times by color Doppler ultrasound. The predictive values of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin methods were compared by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the area under the curve (AUC).
RESULTS: Increased levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were noted in the AHF group than in the control and CAD groups (p < 0.001); the CAD group showed higher levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin than the control group (p < 0.001). Based on the NYHA classification, there were 33 cases with grade II, 28 cases with grade III, and 22 cases with grade IV among 83 CAD patients with HF. It was found that the serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were higher in the AHF-IV group than in the AHF-III and AHF-II groups (p < 0.001); these levels were also higher in the AHF-III group than in the AHF-II group (p < 0.001). The periostin level was positively correlated with the levels of IL-13 (r = 0.458) and TGF-β1 (r = 0.569) in CAD patients with AHF. Besides, the serum levels of periostin (r = -0.425), IL-13 (r = -0.341), and TGF-β1 (r = -0.435) were negatively correlated with the LVEF of CAD patients with AHF, respectively. When IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin levels were used to predict the presence of AHF in CAD patients in combination, the sensitivity and specificity were 75.9% and 90.38%, respectively, with the AUC of 0.906 (95% CI: 0.912-0.996).
CONCLUSION: These data reveal that IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin levels might be associated with the occurrence of AHF in CAD patients and their combination shows the predictive value for the presence of AHF in CAD patients.

1. Introduction

Coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as coronary heart disease (CHD), is a cardiovascular disease. It refers to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the blood vessels that provide oxygen and nutrition to the heart and are mainly manifested in four forms involving stable angina pectoris, unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or sudden cardiac death [1, 2]. CAD is the leading cause of mortality globally. A research conducted in 2007 has estimated that approximately 4.52% of patients died of CAD each year among vascular diseases [3]. The World Health Organization reported that 17.3 million deaths were related to cardiovascular diseases in 2008, of which CAD accounted for a large proportion [4]. A variety of potential factors, such as geographical locations, ethnicity, age, gender, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, as well as genetic factors, which were demonstrated in epidemiological studies, have been found to be associated with the prevalence of CAD [5]. It was reported that CAD was one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in India, especially in south India, which might be due to hypertension, glycolipid metabolism abnormalities, and smoking [6]. A Report from American Heart Association indicated that 15.5 million people over the age of 20 in the United States had CAD [7]. Severe CAD leads to serious coronary artery stenosis, sclerosis, and even thrombosis, followed by ischemic myocardium and ischemic necrosis. The function of the heart is to pump blood, which depends on the efforts of many cardiomyocytes. Now, a large number of cardiomyocytes are damaged, and the blood pump will be affected. If the necrotic area is large enough, the function of the heart must be seriously damaged. The poor blood pump of the heart will lead to ischemia in all organs of the body, which is HF. Accumulating evidence has proven that CAD was considered to be a major risk factor for heart failure (HF), which is caused by the impaired ability of the heart to fill or discharge blood [8, 9]. According to the time of onset, HF is classified into acute HF (AHF) and chronic HF (CHF). In terms of the status of cardiac function, HF is divided into two distinct types, including HF with preserved ejection fraction and HF with reduced ejection fraction [10]. It was estimated approximately 26 million populations worldwide suffered from HF, and the incidence rate was increasing sharply with the aging of the population [11].

Various major biomarkers have been confirmed to be related to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. It is found that people who are with high concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins [12] or low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol tend to suffer from CAD [13]. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a key cytokine involved in the occurrence of allergic diseases, which play an important role in inflammatory and immune responses [14, 15]. Previous studies estimated that IL-13 might be involved in the development of atherosclerosis through inducing macrophage PPARδ/β expression [16]. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) consists of three subtypes: TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3. It is a multifunctional cytokine referring to the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cellular immune responses [17, 18]. Furthermore, IL-13 and TGF-β have been found to be inducing periostin expression in chronic inflammatory diseases [19]. Periostin, a matricellular protein, is expressed in a variety of normal adult and fetal tissues, and upregulated periostin levels have been found in HF, CAD, and stroke [20, 21]. Periostin caused arterial calcification, overactivated glycolysis, and damaged oxidative phosphorylation [22].

In clinical practice, these potential biomarkers can be combined to determine the group that can benefit most from preventive treatment in the population with increased risk of CAD and HF. However, few studies have been done on the correlations among biomarkers IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin in CAD patients with HF. In view of this, 83 CAD patients complicated with HF, 52 CAD patients, and 50 healthy individuals were studied to explore the potential biomarkers and its correlations of the presence of HF in CAD patients so as to provide a preventive intervention for the occurrence of CAD and HF.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Design and Subjects

A total of 135 patients who were diagnosed with CAD (including previous myocardial infarction and previous percutaneous or surgical coronary revascularization) by coronary angiography from Renmin Hospital (Shiyan, China) between January 2019 and January 2021 were included in this study with informed content signed by each patient and with the approval of the Ethics Committee of Renmin Hospital. According to the presence of HF, 83 CAD patients with HF were assigned to the AHF group and 52 CAD patients without HF to the CAD group. According to the Heart Failure Guideline issued by the Chinese Society of Cardiology [23], AHF is defined as a rapid onset of or change in symptoms and signs of HF. The HF diagnosis was confirmed by the patient's medical history and other relevant examinations indicating a structural and/or functional cardiac abnormality. The signs and symptoms of HF during the acute phase were defined as one of the following: shortness of breath, excessive tiredness, leg swelling, cough/haemoptysis, pulmonary rales, and radiographic evidence of pulmonary congestion. Patients must be excluded if they had rheumatic valvular diseases, myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, pericardial diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, active rheumatic immune diseases, osteoarthritis, severe liver and renal insufficiency, other organ inflammatory diseases, malignant tumors, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, mental illness, and infectious diseases. Additionally, healthy controls (n = 52) were those who had received physical examinations at the same period, without any cardiovascular disease.

2.2. Coronary Angiography Examinations

Coronary angiography was performed using the Judkins technique, and coronary angiograms were evaluated by three experienced interventional cardiologists without knowledge of the laboratory measurements of the participants. Angiographic evidence of more than 50% stenosis in one or more coronary vessels was defined as CHD. The severity of coronary artery atherosclerosis was quantified using a Gensini score.

2.3. New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification

The NYHA classification offers a simple way of classifying the extent of HF [24]. It classifies patients in one of four categories based on their limitations during physical activity; the limitations/symptoms are in regards to normal breathing and varying degrees in shortness of breath and or angina pain. No symptoms and no limitation in ordinary physical activity, such as walking and climbing stairs, are defined as Class I. Mild symptoms (mild shortness of breath and/or angina) with slight limitation during ordinary activity are defined as Class II. Evident limitation in activity due to symptoms, even during less-than-ordinary activity, such as walking short distances (20–100 m) and being comfortable only at rest is defined as Class III. Severe limitations and experiencing symptoms even at rest are defined as Class IV.

2.4. Serum Sample Collection and Measurements

Fasting venous blood (6 ml) was obtained from patients the next day after their admission and from healthy individuals at their physical examinations. One part of the blood sample (3 ml) was analyzed by the Hitachi 6700 analyzer (Japan) for measurements of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations. Another part of the blood sample (3 ml) was centrifuged (3,000 r/min, 10 min) for serum extraction. By comparing the optical density of the samples to the standard curve, the serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using commercial available kits from Boster Biological Technology (Wuhan, China) according to the manual provided by the manufacturer. Measurements were completed within 2 h of sample collection.

2.5. Data Collection

Demographic information, smoking status, medical history, and results from laboratory tests were collected from the medical records by an investigator blinded to IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin data. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricle end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were detected 3 times by color Doppler ultrasound with the frequency set as 1–3 MHz (Vivid7 Dimension, General Electric Company, USA).

2.6. Statistical Analysis

Categorical variables were shown as ratio and continuous variables as mean ± standard deviation. Differences in IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin levels in each NYHA class were evaluated by Student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Correlations between IL-13, TGF-β1, periostin concentrations, and LVEF were assessed by the Pearson correlation test. The predictive values of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin methods were compared by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the area under the curve (AUC). P values less than 0.05 were used as cutoff statistical differences. GraphPad prism 8.0 and software package SPSS for Windows (version 15, Chicago, IL, USA) were used for statistical calculations.

3. Results

3.1. Demographic Information of Study Subjects

Baseline characteristics including gender, age, body mass index, smoking status, HR, ALT, AST, creatinine, and BUN among AHF, CAD, and control groups are shown in Table 1. The three groups were comparable considering no significant difference in baseline characteristics (p > 0.05). With regard to cardiac function, it was found that LVEDD, LVEDV, and LVMI were increased, but LVEF was decreased in the AHF group compared to the control and CAD groups (p < 0.001). Additionally, the CAD group exhibited elevated LVEDD, LVEDV, and LVMI concomitant with declined LVEF compared to the control group (p < 0.001).

Table 1

Baseline characteristics among control, CAD, and AHF groups.

Baseline characteristic	AHF (n = 83)	CAD (n = 52)	Control (n = 52)	P
Gender (male/%)	55 (66.27%)	34 (65.38%)	34 (65.38%)	0.992
Age (year)	64.34 ± 5.17	63.06 ± 4.30	63.42 ± 3.98	0.254
Body mass index (kg/m2)	22.77 ± 2.99	22.49 ± 2.62	22.28 ± 2.09	0.571
Smoking status (%)	54 (65.06%)	32 (61.54%)	31 (59.62%)	0.804
HR (time/min)	83.04 ± 12.53	83.23 ± 10.75	83.88 ± 11.06	0.918
ALT (U/L)	25.25 ± 9.93	25.00 ± 8.64	24.91 ± 8.71	0.976
AST (U/L)	24.88 ± 9.57	24.08 ± 9.75	23.64 ± 7.14	0.722
Creatinine (μmol/L)	94.14 ± 24.17	93.61 ± 22.58	93.43 ± 20.55	0.982
BUN (mmol/L)	5.49 ± 1.79	5.40 ± 1.33	5.33 ± 1.13	0.830
LVEF (%)	42.40 ± 4.79∗#	52.94 ± 4.23∗	60.83 ± 4.52	<0.001
LVEDD (mm)	58.33 ± 2.24∗#	55.59 ± 2.25∗	51.01 ± 1.99	<0.001
LVEDV (ml)	229.47 ± 29.66∗#	197.99 ± 31.28∗	97.97 ± 18.66	<0.001
LVMI (g/m2)	133.06 ± 15.05∗#	124.07 ± 14.81∗	104.10 ± 11.20	<0.001

Note: HR, heart rate; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; p < 0.001 compared to the control group; and #p < 0.001 compared to the CAD group.

3.2. Increased Levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and Periostin in CAD Patients with AHF

Serum samples were obtained from the AHF, CAD, and control groups, and the serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were measured by the ELISA method (Figure 1). The data demonstrated increased levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin in the AHF group than the control and CAD groups (p < 0.001; Table 2). Likewise, the CAD group showed higher levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin than the control group (p < 0.001).

Figure 1

The serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin among AHF, CAD, and control groups.

Table 2

The serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin among AHF, CAD, and control groups.

Item	AHF (n = 83)	CAD (n = 52)	Control (n = 52)	P
IL-13 (pg/mL)	5.13 ± 0.34∗#	4.75 ± 0.31∗	4.20 ± 0.28	<0.001
TGF-β1 (μg/L)	58.90 ± 7.83∗#	46.49 ± 6.77∗	8.94 ± 3.85	<0.001
Periostin (ng/L)	89.29 ± 13.42∗#	65.66 ± 11.06∗	44.26 ± 10.48	<0.001

p < 0.001 compared to the control group and #p < 0.001 compared to the CAD group.

3.3. Association between IL-13, TGF-β1, Periostin Levels, and AHF in CAD

Based on the NYHA classification, there were 33 cases with grade II, 28 cases with grade III, and 22 cases with grade IV among 83 CAD patients with HF. The AHF-IV group showed decreased LVEF compared to the AHF-III and AHF-II groups (p < 0.05); the AHF-III group also showed decreased LVEF compared to the AHF-II group (p < 0.05; Table 3). The serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were analyzed according to different NYHA classifications of AHF. It was found that the serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were higher in the AHF-IV group than the AHF-III and AHF-II groups (p < 0.001); these levels were also higher in the AHF-III group than the AHF-II group (p < 0.001; Figure 2). These data suggested that higher serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin may be associated with the presence of AHF in CAD patients.

Table 3

The serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin according to different NYHA classifications of AHF.

Item	AHF-II (n = 33)	AHF-III (n = 28)	AHF-IV (n = 22)	P
LVEF (%)	46.08 ± 2.77	41.12 ± 4.54∗	38.49 ± 3.45∗#	<0.05
IL-13 (pg/mL)	4.89 ± 0.21	5.16 ± 0.25∗	5.44 ± 0.35∗#	<0.001
TGF-β1 (μg/L)	53.38 ± 5.94	59.66 ± 6.34∗	66.23 ± 5.39∗#	<0.001
Periostin (ng/L)	78.83 ± 11.01	91.58 ± 9.46∗	102.07 ±7.28∗#	<0.001

Note: LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; LVEDD, left ventricular end diastolic dimension; LVEDV, left ventricle end diastolic volume; LVMI, left ventricular mass index; p < 0.001 compared to the AHF-II group, and #p < 0.001 compared to the AHF-III group.

Figure 2

The serum levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin according to different NYHA classifications of AHF.

3.4. The Periostin Level Was Positively Correlated with the Levels of IL-13 and TGF-β1 in CAD Patients with AHF

Correlations between IL-13, TGF-β1, periostin concentrations, and LVEF were assessed by the Pearson correlation test. Results revealed that the periostin level was positively correlated with the levels of IL-13 (r = 0.458; p < 0.001; Figure 3(a)) and TGF-β1 (r = 0.569; p < 0.001; Figure 3(b)) in CAD patients with AHF. Besides, the serum levels of periostin (r = –0.425; p < 0.001; Figure 3(c)), IL-13 (r = –0.341; p < 0.001; Figure 3(d)), and TGF-β1 (r = –0.435; p < 0.001; Figure 3(e)) were negatively correlated with the LVEF of CAD patients with AHF.

Figure 3

Correlation analyses between IL-13, TGF-β1, periostin concentrations, and LVEF.

3.5. The Predictive Values of IL-13, TGF-β1, and Periostin in Combination for CAD Patients with AHF

Since significant correlations between IL-13, TGF-β1, periostin concentrations, and AHF in CAD patients were noted above, we attempted to evaluate the values of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin in predicting the presence of AHF in CAD patients. When IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin levels were used to predict the presence of AHF in CAD patients in combination, the sensitivity and specificity were 75.9% and 90.38%, respectively, with the AUC of 0.906 (95% CI: 0.912–0.996; Figure 4). These data suggested good predictive values of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin in combination for CAD patients with AHF.

Figure 4

The predictive values of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin in combination for CAD patients with AHF.

4. Discussion

Cardiovascular disease is a chronic disease referring to the heart and circulatory system. It is the leading cause of death in developed countries, although primary prevention is easy to obtain. By 2030, 23.6 million deaths are estimated to be related to the cardiovascular disease every year [25, 26]. Among them, CAD is one of the primary causes of death [27]. A series of processes, involving abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism, thrombosis, inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cell activation and remodeling, platelet activation, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, are highly related to the incidence of CAD [28]. In addition, classic risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and lack of physical exercise have been identified as independent predictors of CAD [29]. Numerous researches have confirmed that most patients with CAD are accompanied by HF, which leads to a worse situation of HF through myocardial ischemia or infarction. These patients have a twofold higher risk of cardiovascular events than those without HF [30, 31]. It is estimated the incidence of HF reaches 46% in 2030, which influences approximately 8 million individuals [32].

Despite significant progress in treatment and prevention in CAD and HF, the mortality and incidence rate reported are still high, which bring an enormous burden to medical care and affect the life quality of individuals. In the present study, a total of 135 patients with CAD were assigned into the three groups, including 83 CAD patients with AHF, 52 CAD patients without AHF, and 50 healthy individuals, in order to find the potential biomarkers existing in the CAD patients with HF. HF is a clinical syndrome characterized by a series of symptoms and signs, such as dyspnea, lower extremities swelling, and increased blood pressure in the jugular vein and pulmonary hyperemia. The occurrence of HF is mainly the result of an abnormality of cardiac function and structure leading to abnormal blood supply [33]. The overactivation of renin-angiotensin system is an important cause of HF. Angiotensin II is the main biological effector molecule in renin-angiotensin system, which can directly bind to the nuclear receptor, chromosome receptor, and Golgi receptor, leading to cardiomyocyte enlargement and myocardial hypertrophy [34]. Furthermore, Angiotensin II type 1 receptor is associated with elevated expression of TGF-β1, with the result of accelerating cardiac fibrosis [35]. Periostin protein is identified as an extracellular matrix protein, which is a downstream factor in the angiotensin II-TGF-β1 signaling pathway and is involved in the development of cardiac remodeling [36]. Previous studies have demonstrated that highly expressed periostin increased fibrosis, such as lung fibrosis [37], liver fibrosis [38], and myocardial fibrosis [39]. IL-13, as a proinflammatory cytokine, has been found to be relevant to myocarditis, myocardial infarction, and HF [40].

In this study, it was observed that compared to the CAD patients and healthy individuals, the CAD patients with AHF revealed the higher concentration of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin. In addition, the CAD patients indicated higher levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin than the healthy individuals. 83 cases of CAD complicated with AHF were divided into three grades depending on NYHA classification, in order to further confirm the impacts of these three biomarkers in the CAD patients with AHF. The outcomes manifested LVEDD, LVEDV, and LVMI were elevated, and LVEF was declined in the patients with grade IV compared to the patients with grade III and II. Briefly, the data showed that the increased LVEDD, LVEDV, and LVMI were positively correlated with NYHA grade but decreased LVEF was negatively correlated with NYHA grade. LVEF is a predictor for the assessment of myocardial contraction capacity, and increased LVEF indicates the stronger capacity of myocardial contraction. In general, LVEF lower than 50% indicates cardiac insufficiency [41]. LVEDD, LVEDV, and LVMI evaluate the left ventricle from three aspects including thickness, volume, and weight ratio respectively, which are indicators of cardiac remodeling. Our results revealed that the injured cardiac function occurred in the CAD patients with AHF, and this situation was more severe with the increase of NYHA grade. Kim et al. pointed out that elevated LVEDD was related to poor prognosis in children with acute myocarditis [42]. Juneau et al. has suggested LVEDV and LVMI were prognostic measures referring to cardiovascular diseases [43]. Additionally, the results presented in this study suggested that the patients with grade IV showed higher levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin than those with grades III and II. These three biomarkers were also higher in the patients with grade III compared to the patients with grade II, which suggested the increased IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin might be relevant to the presence of AHF in CAD patients. The correlation among IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin has been done by the Pearson correlation test on the CAD patients with AHF. It was found that the value of periostin positively correlated with the IL-13 and TGF-β1. The finding was similar to the research of patients with idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia, Katoh et al., demonstrating that periostin was induced by IL-13 and TGF-β1, which accounted for an important role in tissue remodeling and fibrosis [44]. Moreover, the LVEF was negatively correlated with the IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin, which might be caused by the elevated periostin that mediates the progress of myocardial fibrosis, leading to cardiac remodeling. Segiet et al. have indicated that the increased concentration of IL-13 was found in HF patients [45], as well as Nishimura et al. have confirmed that the IL-13 was negatively correlated with LVEF and positively correlated with the NYHA grade [46]. According to sensitivity and specificity tests, we have also proven that IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were effective biomarkers for predicting the presence of AHF in CAD patients.

Taken together, our results reveal that periostin expression possibly induced by IL-13 and TGF-β1 is closely related to cardiac remodeling and cardiac function, affecting the LVEF, LVEDD, LVEDV, and LVMI parameters. The concentration of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin might be the potential predictive biomarkers of occurrence of HF in CAD patients, which can provide new ideas for the treatment of CAD patients with HF clinically. However, the small sample size involved in the study might lower the reliability of experimental data and prevent the research results from being extended to the treatment of other cardiovascular diseases with different disease stages. At the same time, we failed to performed a follow-up analysis in this study. Further investigations are required to confirm whether elevated circulating levels of IL-13, TGF-β1, and periostin were associated with cardiovascular events and in-hospital deaths, thus estimating their prognostic values for patients with CAD and HF.