Concomitant elevated serum levels of tenascin, MMP-9 and YKL-40, suggest ongoing remodeling of the heart up to 3 months after cardiac surgery after normalization of the revascularization markers

BACKGROUND: The recovery from cardiac surgery involves resolving inflammation and remodeling with significant connective tissue turnover. Dynamics of smoldering inflammation and injury (white blood cells, platelets, CRP, IL-8, IL-6), vascular inflammation (IL-15, VEGF, RANTES), connective tissue remodeling (tenascin, MMP-9), cardiac injury and remodeling (YKL-40), and vascular remodeling (epiregulin, MCP-1, VEGF) were assessed up to 3 months after cardiac surgery. We hypothesize that at 3 months, studied markers will return to pre-surgical levels. METHODS: Patients (n = 139) scheduled for non-emergent heart surgery were included, except for patients with pre-existing immunological aberrancies. Blood was collected before surgery(t(baseline)), 24 h later(t(24h)) after the first sample, 7 days(t(7d)), and 3 months(t(3m)) after t(baseline). Serum markers were measured via multiplex or ELISA. Electronic medical records (EMR) were used to extract demographical, pre-existing conditions and clinical data. Disposition (discharge home, discharge to facility, death, re-admission) was determined at 28 days and 3 months from admission. RESULTS: Not all inflammatory markers returned to baseline (CRP↑↑, leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, IL-8↓, IL-6↓). Tenascin and YKL-40 levels remained elevated even at t(3m). YKL-40 serum levels were significantly elevated at t(24h) and t(7d) while normalized at t(3m). VEGF returned to the baseline, yet MCP-1 remained elevated at 3 months. CCL28 increased at 3 months, while RANTES and IL-15 declined at the same time. Disposition at discharge was determined by serum MMP-9, while YKL-40 correlated with duration of surgery and APACHE II(24h). CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrated an ongoing extracellular matrix turnover at 3 months, while acute inflammation and vascular remodeling resolved only partially. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40001-022-00831-8.