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Association of ficolin-3 with severity and outcome of chronic heart failure

Zoltán Prohászka1, Lea Munthe-Fog, Thor Ueland

  • 1IIIrd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, and Research Group of Inflammation Biology and Immunogenomics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.

Plos One
|April 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Low levels of ficolin-3, a key complement pathway initiator, are linked to advanced heart failure and increased mortality risk. This finding highlights ficolin-3

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cardiology
  • Complement System

Background:

  • Complement activation plays a role in heart failure pathophysiology.
  • Initiating mechanisms of complement activation in heart failure remain unclear.
  • Mannose-binding lectin (MBL), ficolin-2, and ficolin-3 are key initiators of the lectin complement pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association of MBL, ficolin-2, and ficolin-3 with disease severity and outcome in chronic heart failure.
  • To determine if these lectin pathway initiators are related to clinical parameters and mortality in heart failure patients.

Main Methods:

  • Plasma concentrations of MBL, ficolin-2, and ficolin-3 were measured in two independent cohorts of heart failure patients and controls.
  • Disease severity (NYHA class) and clinical parameters (BNP) were assessed at baseline.
  • All-cause mortality was tracked over a 5-year follow-up period.
  • Univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed.

Main Results:

  • Low ficolin-3 levels, but not MBL or ficolin-2, were significantly associated with advanced heart failure (NYHA Class IV).
  • Decreased ficolin-3 inversely correlated with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels.
  • Low plasma ficolin-3 was a significant independent predictor of 5-year mortality.
  • Reduced ficolin-3 levels correlated with increased complement activation (C3a) and decreased complement factor C3.

Conclusions:

  • Low ficolin-3 levels are associated with advanced heart failure.
  • Findings from two independent cohorts consistently show that low ficolin-3 levels predict poor outcome in heart failure.
  • Decreased ficolin-3 is linked to heightened complement activation in the context of heart failure.
Abstract

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