Table 1 Baseline characteristics of HFrEF patients
| Â | sST2/LVMI | Â | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q1 < 0.24 | Q2 0.24–0.39 | Q3 ≥ 0.39 | P value | |
Age, mean (SD), years | 49.20 (16.72) | 44.33 (14.87) | 50.20 (15.05) | 0.548 |
Body mass index, mean (SD) (kg/m2) | 25.12 (4.41) | 26.17 (4.23) | 25.89 (3.58) | 0.791 |
Heart rate, mean (SD) (bpm) | 90.67 (27.12) | 86.47 (20.11) | 82.47 (13.74) | 0.570 |
Systolic blood pressure, mean (SD) (mmHg) | 128.73 (15.90) | 117.07 (14.07) | 124.60 (23.59) | 0.221 |
Diastolic blood pressure, mean (SD) (mmHg) | 81.53 (10.37) | 79.53 (12.87) | 82.73 (15.89) | 0.800 |
Gender | Â | Â | Â | 1.000 |
 Female (n, %) | 3 (20.00%) | 3 (20.00%) | 3 (20.00%) |  |
 Male (n, %) | 12 (80.00%) | 12 (80.00%) | 12 (80.00%) |  |
NYHA functional class | Â | Â | Â | 0.153 |
 II (n, %) | 9 (60.00%) | 8 (53.33%) | 4 (26.67%) |  |
 III–IV (n, %) | 6 (40.00%) | 7 (46.67%) | 11 (73.33%) |  |
Laboratory characteristics | ||||
 Sodium, mean (SD) (mmol/L) | 141.27 (2.40) | 140.93 (2.60) | 140.67 (3.85) | 0.862 |
 Hemoglobin, mean (SD) (g/L) | 145.13 (18.30) | 140.53 (17.73) | 143.60 (17.99) | 0.777 |
 White blood cells, mean (SD) (109/L) | 6.89 (2.27) | 6.00 (2.18) | 6.82 (1.75) | 0.436 |
 Total cholesterol, mean (SD) (μmol/L) | 4.01 (0.74) | 3.79 (1.18) | 3.93 (1.56) | 0.887 |
 High density lipoprotein cholesterol, mean (SD) (mmol/L) | 0.93 (0.22) | 0.84 (0.27) | 1.01 (0.34) | 0.252 |
 Albumin, mean (SD) (g/L) | 38.43 (3.06) | 38.33 (5.19) | 39.93 (3.08) | 0.466 |
 Creatinine, mean (SD) (μmol/L) | 87.40 (16.86) | 95.13 (22.96) | 103.00 (30.70) | 0.222 |
 Blood urea nitrogen, mean (SD) (mmol/L) | 6.45 (1.72) | 6.54 (2.23) | 7.17 (2.67) | 0.635 |
 Serum uric acid, mean (SD) (μmol/L) | 482.47 (155.16) | 534.87 (241.30) | 521.20 (128.77) | 0.716 |
 Total bilirubin, mean (SD) (μmol/L) | 13.40 (4.86) | 16.17 (7.24) | 17.21 (10.70) | 0.408 |
 Hypersensitive C-reactive protein, median (Q1–Q3) (mg/L) | 1.85 (0.40–64.80) | 3.30 (0.00–51.50) | 1.70 (0.40–37.80) | 0.527 |
 Hematocrit, mean (SD) (%) | 43.90 (5.12) | 43.19 (4.81) | 43.52 (5.66) | 0.932 |
 NT-proBNP, median (Q1–Q3) (pg/mL) | 2547.00 (798.10–10,743.00) | 1182.00 (389.40–5919.00) | 2172.00 (132.90–11,029.00) | 0.320 |
Serum biomarkers of myocardial fibrosis | ||||
 PINP, median (Q1–Q3) (ng/mL) | 45.20 (17.30–136.60) | 39.70 (13.00–77.70) | 33.20 (15.30–100.00) | 0.342 |
 PIIINP, mean (SD) (ng/mL) | 7.24 (1.82) | 7.18 (1.59) | 7.13 (2.28) | 0.989 |
 PICP, mean (SD) (ng/mL) | 293.79 (112.34) | 308.21 (82.07) | 310.64 (106.56) | 0.886 |
 sST2, mean (SD) (ng/mL) | 21.61 (6.08) | 30.62 (5.89) | 50.28 (13.46) | < 0.001 |
Echocardiography | ||||
 LV ejection fraction, mean (SD) (%) | 31.13 (5.40) | 29.07 (6.91) | 32.27 (6.80) | 0.390 |
 Left atrial diameter, mean (SD) (mm) | 51.93 (5.38) | 51.73 (9.74) | 49.80 (6.46) | 0.688 |
 Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, mean (SD) (mm) | 65.93 (7.88) | 71.67 (13.15) | 67.80 (9.89) | 0.324 |
 Interventricular septum, mean (SD) (mm) | 10.07 (2.34) | 9.40 (1.68) | 9.20 (2.04) | 0.482 |
Cardiac MR | ||||
 Myocardium native T1 time, mean (SD) (ms) | 1076.64 (33.76) | 1083.01 (21.81) | 1085.89 (35.39) | 0.706 |
 Myocardium post contrast T1 time, mean (SD) (ms) | 419.19 (10.40) | 416.41 (14.43) | 399.64 (16.77) | < 0.001 |
 Extracellular volume, mean (SD) (%) | 28.99 (0.81) | 29.53 (1.53) | 30.11 (1.73) | 0.108 |
 LV EDV index, median (Q1–Q3), (mL/m2) | 175.70 (128.80–352.10) | 153.95 (101.40–218.50) | 155.90 (96.40–1342.50) | 0.405 |
 LV ESV index, mean (SD), (mL/m2) | 151.91 (50.06) | 123.35 (39.76) | 141.83 (63.07) 127.80 | 0.338 |
 LVEF, mean (SD) (%) | 20.07 (6.11) | 22.27 (9.06) | 22.07 (7.84) | 0.694 |
 RV EDV index, mean (SD) (mL/m2) | 93.95 (18.60) | 83.51 (21.11) | 89.03 (30.65) | 0.498 |
 RV ESV index, mean (SD) (ml/m2) | 66.72 (22.02) | 56.09 (19.77) | 65.78 (30.54) | 0.430 |
 RVEF, median (Q1–Q3) (%) | 29.70 (8.10–55.10) | 29.80 (18.30–49.80) | 31.10 (4.00–56.60) | 0.520 |
 CI, median (Q1–Q3) (L/min/m2) | 2.25 (1.70–10.80) | 2.37 (1.54–4.97) | 2.47 (1.36–6.36) | 0.983 |
 LVM index, mean (SD) (g/m2) | 117.15 (26.36) | 100.38 (24.34) | 87.35 (26.12) | 0.010 |
 Lambda coefficient, mean (SD) | 0.52 (0.06) | 0.53 (0.07) | 0.53 (0.04) | 0.588 |
Medical history | ||||
 ACE-I or ARB |  |  |  | 0.034 |
  No (n, %) | 12 (80.00%) | 9 (60.00%) | 5 (33.33%) |  |
  Yes (n, %) | 3 (20.00%) | 6 (40.00%) | 10 (66.67%) |  |
 Diuretics other than MRA |  |  |  | 0.448 |
  No (n, %) | 9 (60.00%) | 6 (40.00%) | 6 (40.00%) |  |
  Yes (n, %) | 6 (40.00%) | 9 (60.00%) | 9 (60.00%) |  |
 MRA |  |  |  | 0.310 |
  No (n, %) | 6 (40.00%) | 9 (60.00%) | 10 (66.67%) |  |
  Yes (n, %) | 9 (60.00%) | 6 (40.00%) | 5 (33.33%) |  |
 Digoxin |  |  |  | 0.099 |
  No (n, %) | 15 (100.00%) | 11 (73.33%) | 13 (86.67%) |  |
  Yes (n, %) | 0 (0.00%) | 4 (26.67%) | 2 (13.33%) |  |
Cardiovascular risk factors | ||||
 Smoking |  |  |  | 0.516 |
  No (n, %) | 9 (60.00%) | 11 (73.33%) | 8 (53.33%) |  |
  Yes (n, %) | 6 (40.00%) | 4 (26.67%) | 7 (46.67%) |  |
 Hypertension |  |  |  | 0.695 |
  No (n, %) | 8 (53.33%) | 10 (66.67%) | 8 (53.33%) |  |
  Yes (n, %) | 7 (46.67%) | 5 (33.33%) | 7 (46.67%) |  |
 Diabetes mellitus |  |  |  | 0.146 |
  No (n, %) | 14 (93.33%) | 12 (80.00%) | 15 (100.00%) |  |
  Yes (n, %) | 1 (6.67%) | 3 (20.00%) | 0 (0.00%) |  |
 Etiology |  |  |  | 0.276 |
  Cardiomyopathy (n, %) | 15 (100.00%) | 11 (73.33%) | 13 (86.67%) |  |
  Ischemic heart failure (n, %) | 0 (0.00%) | 3 (20.00%) | 1 (6.67%) |  |
  Valvular heart disease (n, %) | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (6.67%) | 1 (6.67%) |  |