Biomarkers of IL-33 and sST2 and Lack of Association with Carvedilol Therapy in Heart Failure.

Objective: The IL-33/ST2 pathway plays a fundamental role in the cardiovascular system and can be considered as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment or prevention of cardiovascular diseases. ST2, as an interleukin (IL)-1 receptor family member, has transmembrane (ST2L) and soluble (sST2) isoforms. sST2 neutralizes IL-33 and thereby inhibits the cardioprotective role of IL-33/ST2L signaling pathway. Increase in sST2 level is associated with weak cardiac output and can be a predictor of mortality in heart failure (HF). Thereby, we hypothesized that there may be a relationship between the cardioprotective effects of carvedilol and sST2 and IL-3 in HF patients.

Methods: sST2 and IL-33 were measured in serum of 66 individuals; 22 healthy volunteers and 44 suffering from HF; among whom 25 patients received carvedilol and the other 19 patients did not receive any β-blockers.

Results: Lack of association between serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 was observed between HF patients and healthy individuals (2.4466 ± 0.69 vs 2.6748 ± 0.33 and 3416.6 ± 1089.1 vs 2971.6 ± 792.5, respectively). Our results indicated no significant difference between sST2 and IL-33 levels in HF patients who did not receive beta-blockers and patients receiving carvedilol (P=0.59 and P=0.97).

Conclusion: Our results showed a lack of association between serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 and HF. Moreover, the results do not confirm the cardioprotective mechanism of carvedilol by means of IL-33/sST2 pathway.