The relationship between systolic function and serum NGAL levels in patients with chronic heart failure of ischemic origin

Abstract

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is considered one of the most informative biomarkers of chronic kidney disease (CKD). NGAL can also serve as a biomarker of cardiovascular disease and heart failure (HF). However, the relationship between systolic function and serum NGAL concentrations in patients with chronic HF (CHF) of ischemic origin remains insufficiently studied. The aim. To study the influence of tubulo-interstitial injury marker NGAL on systolic function in patients with CHF of ischemic origin. Materials and methods. The study included 51 patients with CHF, stage II AB, NYHA II-IV FC. Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed on the device Esaote MyLab Eight (Italy) according to standard methods. NGAL levels were analyzed using an ELISA kit (E-EL-H0096, Elabscience, USA). Depending to the concentration of serum NGAL, the patients were divided into 2 subgroups. In the first group (n = 37), the NGAL level was higher than 168 ng/ml, in the second (n = 14) – less than 168 ng/ml. Results. The mean serum NGAL concentration in the first subgroup was 192 (183; 200) ng/ml, in the second subgroup – 154 (134; 160) ng/ml. The patients with CHF of ischemic origin with tubulo-interstitial injury (according to the serum concentration of NGAL) did not differ significantly from the patients with CHF of ischemic origin without tubulo-interstitial injury in age (P = 0.950), height (P = 0.983), weight (P = 0.681), body surface area (P = 0.975). Most of left ventricular systolic function indicators showed a downward tendency (S 6.90 ± 2.85 cm/s vs. 7.67 ± 2.83 cm/s (P = 0.536); S lat 7.33 ± 2.08 cm/s vs. 11.00 ± 4.00 cm/s (P = 0.467); TEI LV 0.56 ± 0.26 c.u. vs. 0.49 ± 0.14 c.u. (P = 0.747)) in the patients with CHF of ischemic origin with elevated serum levels of NGAL compared to similar indicators in the patients with CHF of ischemic origin without tubulo-interstitial injury. The index of LVEF was significantly lower in the patients with CHF with elevated serum NGAL compared to that in the patients with CHF with normal serum NGAL (50.43 ± 17.85 % vs. 63.29 ± 13.24 % (P = 0.021)). Conclusions. Serum NGAL was not only the sensitive marker of tubulo-interstitial injury in patients with CHF of ischemic origin, but also appeared to be a predictor of changes in systolic heart function.