Inflammation Links Cardiac Injury and Renal Dysfunction: A Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Study

Inflammation is essential in cardiorenal syndrome, however there is still a lack of evidence proving the interaction between cardiac injury, renal dysfunction and the inflammatory response. This study aimed to illustrate the association between renal dysfunction and cardiac injury with a specific focus on the role of inflammation.

A single-center, retrospective study included patients with heart failure admitted to the cardiovascular department from September 2019 to April 2022. Patients received cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging (T1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)). Demographic, creatinine and native T1 were analyzed using pearson correlation, linear regression and adjusted for confounders. Interaction and subgroup analysis were performed.

Finally, 50 validated heart failure (HF) patients (age 58.5 $$ 14.8 years; 78.0% men) were included. Cardiac global native T1 for the high estimated glomeruar filtration rate (eGFR) group was 1117.0 $$ 56.6 ms, and for the low eGFR group was 1096.5 $$ 61.8 ms. Univariate analysis identified global native T1 ( $$ = 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04-0.28, p = 0.014) and C-reactive protein (CRP) ( $$ = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.15-0.45, p $$ 0.001) as determinants of creatinine. Multivariable linear regression analysis identified global native T1 ( $$ = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.01-0.123, p = 0.040) as a determinant of creatinine while age and diabetes were adjusted. Significant interactions between CRP and global native T1 in relation to creatinine level (p for interaction = 0.005) were identified.

Kidney dysfunction was associated with cardiac injury and inflammation, respectively. The interaction between myocardial injury and kidney dysfunction is contingent on the severity of the inflammatory response. Further studies were needed to identify the mechanisms of the inflammatory response in cardiorenal syndrome.