Urocortin2 measurement for heart failure assessment

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-cou...

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Main Authors: Kohei Inukai, Kazuya Miyashita, Kazuhiko Kotani, Ryota Morimoto, Toru Kondo, Hiroaki Hiraiwa, Shingo Kazama, Tatsuya Yoshida, Satoya Yoshida, Tomoki Hattori, Kumiko Fukamachi, Naoya Fukui, Katsuhiro Kato, Yoshimitsu Yura, Koji Ohashi, Noriyuki Ouchi, Toyoaki Murohara, Takahiro Okumura, Mikito Takefuji
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99509-4
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Summary: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.
ISSN:2045-2322