Effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan on biomarkers of fibrosis and inflammation in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Aims To evaluate the circulating levels of remodeling biomarkers procollagen type 1 C-terminal propeptide (PICP), human cartilage glycoprotein-39 (YKL-40), plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone (Aldo) as well as clinical and echocardiographic parameters in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), before and after treatment with Sacubitril/Valsartan (S/V). Methods and results A total of 26 consecutive patients with HFrEF on stable clinical conditions were studied. Clinical, echocardiographic parameters and circulating biomarkers were measured at baseline, after 30 and 60 days of S/V treatment. Both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased, from 126 ± 15 to 113 ± 4 mmHg ( p < 0.001) and from 77 ± 11 to 72 ± 9 mmHg ( p = 0.005), respectively, at the end of study. Concomitantly, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased by 22.8% from 29.5 ± 5% to 36.2 ± 5%, ( p < 0.001) and indexed left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESVi) decreased by 12% from 38.6 ± 8.7 ml/m 2 to 34.0 ± 10.0 ml/m 2 . ( p = 0.007). Circulating levels of PICP, YKL-40, PRA and Aldo decreased by − 42.2%, − 46.8%, − 79.1% and − 76.7%, respectively ( p < 0.001 for all), the decrements being already maximal within 30 days of S/V treatment. No significant changes of plasma electrolytes and creatinine were observed during the study (all p > 0.05). Conclusions A decrease of circulating markers of inflammation and fibrosis during chronic treatment with S/V is associated with an improvement of hemodynamic and echographic parameters in patients with HRrEF. These data are compatible with an anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effect of S/V, that may contribute to the beneficial outcomes of the drug in this clinical setting.