Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCohort study
Elevated Activin-A serum levels in patients with acute peripartum cardiomyopathy and during left ventricular recovery
- registry study
- German PPCM Registry
Authors' conclusion
In PPCM patients from the German PPCM registry Activin-A serum levels were elevated at diagnosis, remained persistently high after 3M- and 6M-FU but were not associated with LV recovery.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) compared to postpartum healthy controlsPPCM patients 151 · postpartum healthy controls 27
- Participants
- 151 vs 27
- Exposure
- PPCM patients from the German PPCM Registry compared to postpartum healthy controls
- PPCMn = 151
- postpartum healthy controlsn = 27
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Activin-A serum levels at BL · baseline
P < 0.01
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | PPCM | postpartum healthy controls |
|---|---|---|
| Activin-A serum levels during follow-up · 3 M and 6M-FU | ||
| 3 M (n = 100) | 418 pg/ml, IQR: 169-806 | Not reported in the abstract |
| 6M-FU (n = 104) | 520 pg/ml, IQR: 214-1131 | Not reported in the abstract |
| LVEF · BL and 6M-FU | ||
| BL (n = 152) | 25%, IQR: 20-33 | Not reported in the abstract |
| 6M-FU (n = 128) | 52% IQR: 45-56 | Not reported in the abstract |
- LV ejection fraction (LVEF) — 6M-FU vs BL
- P < .0001
- LVEF: The majority of PPCM patients showed left ventricular (LV) recovery 6M after initial diagnosis
Activin-A serum levels during follow-up · 3 M and 6M-FU
- remained persistently elevated above postpartum healthy controls
Correlation of Activin-A at BL with LVEF, NT-proBNP, CRP, PAI-1 · baseline
- LVEF Spearman r (n = 139)
- r = 0.10, P = .2416
- NT-proBNP (n = 131)
- r = 0.096, P = .2766
- CRP (n = 110)
- r = −0.0008, P = .9933
- PAI-1 (n = 109)
- r = 0.095, P = .3273
- did not correlate
Activin-A by LV recovery and by hypertensive pregnancy disorders
- did not differ between full or incomplete LV recovery, or between patients with hypertensive pregnancy disorders
Original publication
Elevated Activin-A serum levels in patients with acute peripartum cardiomyopathy and during left ventricular recovery. ESC Heart Fail. Published 23 February 2026. doi:10.1093/eschf/xvag062
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it