Skip to content
2000
Volume 10, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 1389-2002
  • E-ISSN: 1875-5453

Abstract

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is now recognized as a multisystem disorder with increased sympathetic tone, hormonal derangements, an anabolic/catabolic imbalance, endothelial dysfunction, and systemic low-grade inflammation affecting various organ systems. Pro-inflammatory cytokines appear to play important roles in that context. There is increasing evidence for the gut to have a pathophysiological role for both chronic inflammation and malnutrition in CHF. Indeed, disturbed intestinal microcirculation and barrier function in CHF seem to trigger cytokine generation, thereby contributing to further impairment in cardiac function. On the other hand, myocardial dysfunction can induce microcirculatory injuries leading to a disruption in the intestinal barrier. This amplifies the inflammatory response. Furthermore, alterations of specific absorption functions of the intestinal mucosa in CHF may aggravate symptoms of cachexia. The increased number of adherent bacteria seen in patients with CHF and elevated systemic levels of anti-lipopolysaccharide immunoglobulin A underscore this fact. Therefore, the gut poses an interesting target for therapeutic interventions in patients with CHF.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/cdm/10.2174/138920009787048374
2009-01-01
2025-03-16
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/cdm/10.2174/138920009787048374
Loading

  • Article Type:
    Research Article
Keyword(s): antibodies; cachexia; chronic heart failure; Cytokines; gut; inflammation; intestinal dysfunction
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test