Immunological assessment of myocardial fibrosis in patients with chronic heart failure associated with rheumatoid arthritis 

Andrey S. Ankudinov, Candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the sub-department of simulation technologies and emergency medical care, Irkutsk State Medical University (8 the 3rd of July street, Irkutsk, Russia), E-mail: andruhin.box@ya.ru
Aleksey N. Kalyagin, Doctor of medical sciences, professor, head of the sub-department of propedeutics of internal medicine, Irkutsk State Medical University (8 the 3rd of July street, Irkutsk, Russia), E-mail: akalagin@yandex.ru 

616.12-008.46-06.616 348-008.8-07 

10.21685/2072-3032-2021-1-2 

Background. The study of morphofunctional parameters of the myocardium in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) against the background of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is necessary to assess the severity and prognosis of the underlying disease. Modern researchers pay a significant role to such cytokines as galectin-3 and pentraxin-3.
Materials and methods. The study group consisted of 134 patients with CHF on the background of RA, and the comparison group – 122 patients with CHF without RA. Functional class of CHF that took part in the study of patients according to NYHA I-II. The volume of CHF therapy performed in the groups was compared. The basic antiinflammatory drug for the treatment of RA is methotrexate. The morphofunctional parameters of the myocardium were evaluated, as well as the levels of pentraxin-3 and galectin-3 and their possible relationship with echo parameters. The processing was carried out using the program STATISTICA 10.0; the paper presents statistically significant results. The critical level of significance when testing statistical hypotheses is p < 0.05.
Results. Significantly, higher concentrations of pentraxin-3 and galectin-3 were found in the CHF and RA group compared to the non-RA group. A direct statistically significant correlation of pentraxin-3 and galectin-3 with the left ventricular mass index was revealed.
Conclusions. There were no statistically significant differences in echo parameters between the study groups. Elevated concentrations of pentraxin-3 and galectin-3 were revealed in the CHF and RA group compared to the group without RA, as well as direct correlations with the left ventricular myocardial mass index in the CHF and RA group, which may indirectly indicate their important prognostic value for this group of patients. 

chronic heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, pentraxin-3, galectin-3 

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