Clinical trials assessing interventions to modulate the inflammatory response in heart failure have not demonstrated beneficial effects, highlighting the complexity of inflammatory pathways in the disease.
This review highlights the complex role of immune activation in heart failure pathogenesis and the current lack of success in translating this into effective anti-inflammatory therapies.
Despite significant advances in the prevention and treatment of heart failure (HF), the prognosis in patients who have been hospitalised on at least one occasion due to exacerbation of HF is still poor. Therefore, a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of HF is crucial in order to achieve better results in the treatment of this clinical syndrome. One of the areas that, for years, has aroused the interest of researchers is the activation of the immune system and the elevated levels of biomarkers of inflammation in patients with both ischaemic and non-ischaemic HF. Additionally, it is intriguing that the level of circulating pro-inflammatory biomarkers correlates with the severity of the disease and prognosis in this group of patients. Unfortunately, clinical trials aimed at assessing interventions to modulate the inflammatory response in HF have been disappointing, and the modulation of the inflammatory response has had either no effect or even a negative effect on the HF prognosis. The article presents a summary of current knowledge on the role of immune system activation and inflammation in the pathogenesis of HF. Understanding the immunological mechanisms pathogenetically associated with left ventricular remodelling and progression of HF may open up new therapeutic possibilities for HF.
Dutka et al. (Sat,) conducted a review in Heart failure. Clinical trials assessing interventions to modulate the inflammatory response in heart failure have not demonstrated beneficial effects, highlighting the complexity of inflammatory pathways in the disease.