Serum Cytokines as Biomarkers in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Sleep Apnea: A Prospective Cohort Study

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) frequently co-occur and this comorbidity represents a separate phenotype of HFpEF. While many research attempts are focused on biomarkers of HFpEF, currently, there is a lack of validated biomarkers of HFpEF and OSA. In this study, we aimed to evaluate prognostic significance of several serum cytokines in patients with HFpEF and OSA. The patients with HFpEF and OSA were recruited from the Sleep Apnea Center of Novosibirsk, Russian Federation and followed up for 12 months. The main analyzed outcomes were five-point major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and the 6-min walk test (6MWT). The analyzed cytokines were circulating IL-6, IL-10, and VEGF measured at baseline. We recruited 77 male patients with HFpEF and OSA, the data of 71 patients were available for analyses. Patients who developed MACE had four-fold elevated concentrations of serum IL-10. There was no association between baseline cytokine levels and longitudinal changes in 6MWT. Circulating IL-10 levels are positively associated with MACE in men with HFpEF and OSA and thus may be a potential prognostic biomarker in this subgroup of patients. These results should be confirmed in larger studies encompassing both males and females.