Prognostic significance of serum dynamin-related protein 1 in patients with heart failure: Findings from a prospective observational study

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the development and exacerbation of heart failure (HF). Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a key regulator of mitochondrial fission, influences cardiac energy metabolism. The present study investigated the relationship between serum Drp1 levels and the prognosis of patients with HF across a broad spectrum. Serum Drp1 concentrations were measured using ELISA. The primary outcome was the risk of composite major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), which included instances of cardiac death and HF-related readmissions. To assess the prognostic significance of serum Drp1, a receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to predict MACE-free survival. Additionally, an optimal threshold value for Drp1 was determined and was used to stratify patients into different risk categories. A total of 256 HF patients were finally included and categorized into two groups based on their serum Drp1 levels, labeled as the low (Drp1 <= 2.66 ng/ml, n=101) and high group (Drp1 >2.66 ng/ml, n=155). Patients with low serum Drp1 concentrations showed impaired heart structure and function, as assessed by echocardiography. The 6-month follow-up results indicated that patients with reduced Drp1 concentrations faced a substantially increased risk of MACEs (21.1% vs. 2.8%; P<0.001). The present study revealed that diminished serum Drp1 concentrations could potentially act as a predictive marker for the prognosis of HF in a broad patient population.