The clinical picture of morphofunctional parameters, and endothelial function in patients with systolic chronic heart failure in different age groups
According to the theory of immune activation, one of the key links in the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure (CHF) is endothelial dysfunction. Objective. Study of clinical picture characteristics, morphofunctional parameters of heart and indicators having an impact on the function of endothelium in systolic CHF in patients of middle and elderly age. Materials and methods. The study involved 103 men with systolic CHF at the age of 25 to 75 years, distributed according to age into 2 groups. Proinflammatory (IL1-, TNF) and antiinflammatory (IL-4) cytokines, BNP fragment were determined with ELISA, the method of quantitative determination of total nitrite (NO2) in blood serum was employed to measure NO. Results. The content of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-1 was definitely higher in patients of middle and elderly age, compared with the control group, and in the elderly age group it was definitely higher than that in patients of middle age. NO content in both groups of patients with systolic CHF exceeded significantly the indicators of the control group. Conclusion. The age factor is not determinative in the clinical course of CHF and in the morphofunctional changes of the heart, but a greater degree of endothelial dysfunction in the elderly patients nevertheless has an impact on the further course of CHF and prognosis. (Cytokines and Inflammation. 2010. Vol. 9, № 3. P. 30-34.)