Association of Redox State of Human Serum Albumin with Severity in Patients with Heart Failure A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the progression of heart failure (HF). We surveyed the fraction of human mercaptalbumin [f(HMA)], an indicator of the redox state of human serum albumin (HSA), in patients with HF and examined whether f(HMA) is associated with the severity of HF. We enrolled consecutive elderly patients hospitalized for acute HF or exacerbation of HF. The redox state of HSA was measured by the high-performance liquid chromatography with postcolumn bromocresol green method using serum samples collected close to discharge. First, the distribution of f(HMA) in HF was compared to that in community-dwelling elderly individuals (n = 125; median age, 80 years) as a control group analyzed in a previous study. Overall, 133 patients (median age, 81 years; 75 men) were included. Patients with HF showed a lower level of f(HMA) than those of the control group (55.0% [IQR 47.7-61.3] versus 66.3% [IQR 62.8-70.0], P < 0.001]. Multiple regression analysis showed a negative correlation between f(HMA) and log-transformed B-type natriuretic peptide (standardized beta = −0.19). Patients with HF showed lower f(HMA) than those in the control group. Additionally, f(HMA) was related to HF independently with log-transformed B-type natriuretic peptide in the multivariate regression analysis, sug-gesting that f(HMA) is a biomarker that reflects the redox state in HF patients.