Key result
Chronic heart failure linked to ~16% higher serum HER2 levels versus healthy controls.
Why the study?
The relationship between serum HER2 levels and chronic heart failure severity was not previously established.
Are serum HER2 levels increased in patients with chronic heart failure compared to healthy controls?
Case-Control (n=65)
Are serum HER2 levels increased in patients with chronic heart failure compared to healthy controls?
Absolute Event Rate: 12.1% vs 10.4%
p-value: p=0.013
Serum HER2 levels are elevated in chronic heart failure patients and correlate with disease severity, suggesting a potential pathophysiological link.
Serum HER2 elevation in heart failure is hypothesis-generating; prospective studies needed before any clinical role.
BACKGROUND: The use of trastuzumab, an antibody against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), in patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer, is related to cardiotoxicity. AIMS: To investigate whether serum HER2 is increased in heart failure patients and related to disease severity. METHODS: Serum HER2, plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and its soluble (s) receptors (sTNF-R1 and 2) were determined with ELISA in chronic heart failure patients and age and gender-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Serum HER2 was higher (P=0.013) in 50 heart failure patients (18 female; median age 57 (range 33-77) years), mean 12.1+/-S.D. 2.3 ng/mL, than in 15 controls, 10.4+/-2.6 ng/mL. Serum HER2 levels correlated inversely with left ventricular ejection fraction (P=0.037) and were highest among NYHA class III patients, followed by NYHA class II patients and controls (P=0.029, Kruskal-Wallis test). STNF-R1 (P<.001) and sTNF-R2 (P=0.015) were higher in patients than controls, and correlated positively with HER2 (P=0.027 and P=0.036, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Serum HER2 levels are increased in chronic heart failure patients. Further research is necessary to determine whether HER2 plays a role in the pathophysiology of heart failure.
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Perik et al. (2006) conducted a case-control in Chronic heart failure (n=65). Chronic heart failure vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Serum HER2 levels (p=0.013). Chronic heart failure was associated with significantly higher serum HER2 levels compared to healthy controls (12.1 vs 10.4 ng/mL; P=0.013).
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