Assessment of Specific Biomarkers' Profile and Structural, Functional Parameters of the Left Ventricle in Patients...

To evaluate the dynamics of specific biomarkers for cardiotoxicity, endothelial dysfunction, fibrosis, systemic inflammation, and morpho-functional alterations in the left ventricular (LV) myocardium in patients with newly diagnosed lymphomas during 6 courses of polychemotherapy (PCT).

The study included 30 patients with newly diagnosed lymphomas. All patients were evaluated for laboratory markers of cardiotoxicity at baseline and after 6 courses of chemotherapy (6 months), including N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI), endothelin-1 (ET-1), circulating cardiac biomarker ST-2, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and LV structural and functional echocardiographic (EchoCG) parameters.

The changes in NT-proBNP and hsTnI concentrations during 6 courses of PCT were not statistically significant. Comparison of the baseline values with those after 6 courses of PCT showed increases in the median concentrations of ET-1 (3.38 and 5.5 pg/ml, respectively; p=0.438) and ST-2 (12.21 and 26.75 ng/ml, respectively; p=0.687). Markers of systemic inflammation were significantly decreased after 6 courses of PCT: the median CRP decreased from 15.2 to 0.72 mg/ml (p=0.006), and the median IL-6 decreased from 12.2 to 5.1 pg/ml (p=0.034). EchoCG data revealed a statistically significant impairment of the LV diastolic function parameters (E/A; E/e' lateral; E/e' average; left atrial volume index; isovolumic relaxation time). A moderate direct correlation was found between the ET-1 concentration and the isovolumic relaxation time at baseline and after 6 courses of PCT, respectively (r1 = 0.387, p=0.047 and r2 = 0.391, p=0.035). No changes in the LV systolic function were observed.

The study showed that patients with lymphoproliferative diseases had no signs of cardiotoxicity during PCT according to the accepted criteria. This study described and highlighted for the first time the interrelation of endothelial dysfunction, profibrotic status, and LV diastolic dysfunction as manifestations of cardiovascular toxicity in patients with lymphoproliferative diseases. It is advisable to supplement the integrated strategies for the prevention and monitoring of PCT cardiovascular toxicity with a thorough evaluation of instrumental parameters of diastolic dysfunction for timely initiation/correction of cardioprotective therapy.