Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2025

Integration of Brain Tissue Saturation Monitoring in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients with Heart Failure
Published on: October 1, 2019
Urocortin2 measurement for heart failure assessment
Kohei Inukai1, Kazuya Miyashita2, Kazuhiko Kotani3
1Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
Abstract:
Despite the efficacy of many therapies for heart failure, it remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with many patients progressing to advanced stages of the condition. Since the standard treatment for heart failure includes small-molecule drugs targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), GPCRs are still considered novel targets for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 2, a highly expressed GPCR in cardiomyocytes, and its ligand, urocortin2 (UCN2), have been reportedly associated with cardiovascular diseases; however, their clinical significance remains unclear. In this study, a UCN2 measurement assay was developed to measure blood UCN2 levels in patients with heart failure. The assay showed that blood UCN2 values indicated a negative relationship with cardiac ejection fraction in 52 patients with heart failure. Blood UCN2 levels were not correlated with brain natriuretic peptide, a standard marker of heart failure, and were higher in patients with cardiomyopathy than in those with heart failure, suggesting that measuring blood UCN2 levels may be a novel test for assessing the pathophysiology of heart failure.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
Heart Failure Drugs: Diuretics
Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(two-step method)
Heart Failure Drugs: Inotropic Agents

