Interleukin-1 blockade in heart failure: an on-treatment and off-treatment cardiorespiratory fitness analysis

• Published in: ESC Heart Failure 2023-10, Vol.10 (5), p.3199-3202
• Main Authors: Moroni, Francesco, Golino, Michele, Carbone, Salvatore, Trankle, Cory, Del Buono, Marco Giuseppe, Talasaz, Azita, Arena, Ross, Canada, Justin M, Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe, Van Tassel, Benjamin, Abbate, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Blood; Body mass index; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiac function; Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Cardiovascular disease; Conflicts of interest; Cytokines; Ejection fraction; Female; Heart failure; Heart Failure - diagnosis; Humans; IL‐1 blockade; Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein - therapeutic use; Interleukin-1; Male; Patients; Peptides; Physical fitness; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Short Communication; Short Communications; Velocity; Ventilation
• ISSN: 2055-5822; 2055-5822
• DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14460

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) blockade may improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure (HF) patients. The extent of the improvement and its persistence beyond discontinuation of IL-1 blockade is unknown. The primary objective was to determine changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiac function on-treatment with IL-1 blocker, anakinra, and off-treatment, after treatment cessation. We performed cardiopulmonary exercise testing, Doppler echocardiography, and biomarkers in 73 patients with HF, 37 (51%) females, 52 (71%) Black-African-American, before and after treatment with anakinra 100 mg daily. In a subset of 46 patients, testing was also repeated after treatment cessation. Quality of life was assessed in each patient using standardized questionnaires. Data are presented as median and interquartile range. Treatment with anakinra for 4 [2-12] weeks was associated with a significant improvement in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (from 6.2 [3.3-15.4] to 1.4 [0.8-3.4] mg/L, P