Pulmonary hypertension in patients with advanced heart failure is associated with increased levels of interleukin-6

CONTEXT: Inflammatory, endothelial and neurohormonal biomarkers are involved in heart failure (HF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE: To study these biomarkers in PH due to advanced HF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty adults with HF were included. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), endothelin-1 and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured in peripheral vein and pulmonary artery during right heart catheterisation. RESULTS: IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP and NT-proBNP correlated with pulmonary pressures independent of ventricular function, HF etiology and vascular bed. IL-6 was independent predictor of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Inflammatory biomarkers correlate to PH severity. IL-6 predicts sPAP in advanced HF.