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Unlocking the Value of White Blood Cells for Heart Failure Diagnosis

Stefan Meier1,2, Michiel Henkens2,3, Stephane Heymans2,3,4

  • 1Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, 6211 KR, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research
|May 6, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Heart failure biomarkers are improving. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) offer a promising new source for early detection and diagnosis of heart failure, improving patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading global cause of death, with heart failure accounting for a significant portion of fatalities.
  • Current heart failure biomarkers like NT-pro-BNP and ejection fraction have limitations in sensitivity for many patients.
  • Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are emerging as accessible surrogate tissues reflecting cardiac molecular changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the potential of PBMCs as a novel biomarker source for heart failure.
  • To discuss the advantages and limitations of using PBMCs for heart failure diagnostics.
  • To advocate for the collection and storage of PBMCs in biobanks for future research.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on heart failure biomarkers.
  • Analysis of the utility of circulating white blood cells, specifically PBMCs, as surrogate biopsies.
  • Discussion of practical considerations for biobanking and biomarker isolation.

Main Results:

  • PBMCs offer advantages as biomarkers due to their accessibility and reflective capacity of cardiac molecular status.
  • Existing biomarkers like ejection fraction and NT-pro-BNP show insufficient sensitivity in certain heart failure cases.
  • PBMCs represent a rich source for discovering novel diagnostic tools for heart failure.

Conclusions:

  • PBMCs show significant promise as a novel biomarker source for heart failure detection and diagnosis.
  • Standardizing the collection and storage of PBMCs in biobanks is crucial for advancing heart failure research.
  • Further research utilizing PBMCs could lead to improved diagnostic accuracy and patient prognosis in heart failure.

Keywords:
BiomarkerBuffy coatDiagnosisEndomyocardial biopsyHeart failurePBMCsWhite blood cells

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