Pathophysiological mechanisms in different types of heart failure -- a genomics, proteomics, biomarkers and metabolomics study using cardiac biopsies and blood

Purpose and aims: Our purpose is to use modern molecular large-scale techniques to characterise heart failure (HF) patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) in order to find pathophysiologic mechanisms that can enable new therapeutic strategies and improved diagnostics.

The studies are performed along three lines:Characterise cardiac tissue gene expression to find patterns separating HFpEF from HFrEF and HFmrEF and to associate with cardiac imaging measures of remodelling over time.Identify genetic variants that are correlated with HFpEF, HFrEF or HFmrEF to be used for prophylactic actions, diagnostics, and discoveries of disease mechanisms.Identify biomarkers of fibrosis, inflammation and microvascular dysfunction, proteomics and metabolomics in blood, characteristic of HFpEF, HFrEF and HFmrEF, and differentiating them from those in patients without HF.

Clinical significance: HFpEF is a distinct and prevalent disorder, for which there is currently no evidence based therapy.

We hope to identify new genes and biomarkers with therapeutic implications by analysis of cell signalling systems with the aim at creating novel drug therapy for HFpEF.

In this study, we have a unique possibility to identify genes, proteins and biomarkers that distinguish different forms of HF.