Plasma adenosine levels increase in patients with chronic heart failure

Adenosine is believed to be cardioprotective; however, it has not been elucidated whether the plasma adenosine level is increased in chronic heart failure.

Seventy-one patients attending a specialized heart failure clinic during a 6-month period were grouped according to the cause of chronic heart failure and the New York Heart Association function class. There were 40 patients with chronic heart failure due to ischemic heart diseases and 31 patients with valvular heart diseases and dilated cardiomyopathy. Control subjects consisted of 64 healthy laboratory staff members and patients without chronic heart failure. We found that the plasma adenosine levels were increased in patients with ischemic and nonischemic heart failure (218 +/- 23 and 211 +/- 21 nmol/L, respectively, versus 62 +/- 3 nmol/L for healthy subjects) and that the extent of increases in adenosine levels correlated well with the severity of chronic heart failure.

We conclude that adenosine levels in the systemic blood increase in patients in ischemic and nonischemic chronic heart failure. Because adenosine counteracts catecholamine-, renin-angiotensin-, and cytokine-induced cellular injury, increased adenosine levels may be endogenous compensatory mechanisms for heart failure.