Circulating levels of stress associated peptide Urocortin in heart failure patients

The available data suggest that Urocortin (UCN), a cardioprotective and vasoactive peptide known from fish neuroendocrinology, is involved in cardiac regulation. The aim of this study was to determine UCN plasma concentrations in patients with heart failure (HF). Plasma concentrations of UCN, measured in 42 fully treated HF patients. UCN, were determined using a specific ELISA assay after acidic extraction with Sep-Pak C18 columns. Circulating levels of other neurohormones Nt-proBNP, Nt-proANP and Big ET-1 were also determined. Reference values were obtained from 20 healthy age- and sex-matched subjects. In comparison with controls, UCN plasma concentrations (geometric mean [95% CI]) were significantly increased in HF patients (88 pmol/L [75–105] vs 46 [39–54], p < 0.001). As expected, the other neurohormones were also significantly increased in HF patients (Nt-proBNP: 3501 pg/ml [2356–5202] vs 35 [24–51], Nt-proANP: 5498 pg/ml [4336–6971] vs 324 [255–411] and Big ET-1: 15.8 pg/ml [13.6–18.4] vs 5.9 [5.2–6.8]; p < 0.01 for all vs controls). No significant correlation was observed between UCN and the other HF biomarkers. Our results demonstrate that plasma concentrations of UCN are significantly increased in patients with HF and that UCN may participate in the neurohumoral response of HF.