Soluble Neprilysin and Corin Concentrations in Relation to Clinical Outcome in Chronic Heart Failure

Objectives: This study investigated whether patients with chronic heart failure (HF) can be stratified according to the combination of soluble neprilysin and corin concentrations and whether this is related to clinical outcome.

Background: Natriuretic peptide processing by the enzymes corin and neprilysin plays a pivotal role in conversion of pro-natriuretic peptides to active natriuretic peptides, as well as their degradation, respectively.

Methods: A prospective cohort of patients with chronic HF (n = 1,009) was stratified into 4 equal groups based on high or low neprilysin/corin concentration relative to the median: 1) low neprilysin/low corin; 2) low neprilysin/high corin; 3) high neprilysin/low corin; and 4) high neprilysin/high corin. Cox regression survival analysis was performed for the composite primary endpoint of cardiovascular death and HF hospitalization.

Results: Median neprilysin and corin concentrations were not correlated (rho: -0.04; p = 0.21). Although in univariate analysis there was no association with outcome, after correction for baseline differences in age and sex, a significant association with survival was demonstrated: with highest survival in group 1 (low neprilysin/low corin) and lowest in group 4 (high neprilysin/high corin) (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.56; p = 0.003), which remained statistically significant after comprehensive multivariable analysis (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.41; p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Stratification of patients with chronic HF based on circulating neprilysin and corin concentrations is associated with clinical outcomes. These results suggest that regulation of these enzymes is of importance in chronic HF and may offer an interesting approach for classification of patients with HF in a step toward individualized HF patient management.