Hepatocyte Growth Factor and 10-Year Change in Left Ventricular Structure: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a cytokine linked to incident heart failure (HF), particularly HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Increases in left ventricular (LV) mass and concentric remodelling defined by increasing mass-to-volume (M:V) ratios are imaging risk markers for HFpEF. We aimed to determine if HGF is associated with adverse LV remodelling. We studied 4907 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), free of cardiovascular disease and HF at baseline, who had HGF measured and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) performed at baseline. Of these, 2921 completed a second CMR at 10 years. We examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of HGF and LV structural parameters using multivariable-adjusted linear mixed-effect models, adjusting for cardiovascular disease risk factors and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide. The mean (SD) for age was 62 (10) years; 52% were female. Median (interquartile range) for HGF level was 890 pg/mL (745-1070). At baseline, the highest HGF tertile, compared to the lowest, was associated with a greater M:V ratio (relative difference 1.94 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72, 3.17]) and lower LV end-diastolic volume (–2.07 mL [95% CI: –3.72, –0.42)]. In longitudinal analysis, the highest HGF tertile was associated with increasing M:V ratio (10-year difference: 4.68 [95% CI: 2.64, 6.72]) and decreasing LV end-diastolic volume (–4.74 [95% CI: –6.87, –2.62]). In a community-based cohort, higher HGF levels were independently associated with a concentric LV remodelling pattern of increasing M:V ratio and decreasing LV end-diastolic volume by CMR over 10 years. These associations may reflect an intermediate phenotype explaining the association of HGF with HFpEF risk. Le facteur de croissance des hépatocytes (hepatocyte growth factor; HGF) est une cytokine associée à l’insuffisance cardiaque (IC), particulièrement l’IC avec fraction d’éjection préservée (ICFEP). Une augmentation de la masse du ventricule gauche (VG) et un remodelage concentrique du VG, défini par une augmentation du ratio masse/volume (M:V), sont des marqueurs de risque d’ICFEP à l’examen d’imagerie. Nous souhaitions déterminer si le taux de HGF est associé à un remodelage préjudiciable du VG. Nous avons étudié 4 907 participants à l’étude multiethnique sur l’athérosclérose (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis; MESA) qui, au départ, ne présentaient pas de maladie cardiovasculaire ni d’IC et pour qui le ta