Myocardial DYRK1B Expression Is Increased in Patients with Impaired Cardiac Contractility and Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Heart failure and cardiovascular disease represent a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Recent evidence associates an increased expression of the dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1B (DYRK1B) with an impaired cardiac function in mice. However, there remains a paucity of data on myocardial <i>DYRK1B</i> expression in patients with cardiovascular disease in the context of other comorbidities. In our study, we examined <i>DYRK1B</i> mRNA expression in human right atrial appendage biopsies from 159 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery. Each patient was tested for sleep-disordered breathing the night prior to surgery. In this large representative study cohort with cardiovascular high-risk patients, we found that an impaired cardiac function as well as sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including various oxidative stress parameters, were associated with an increased myocardial <i>DYRK1B</i> expression. A multivariate regression analysis revealed left ventricular ejection fraction and the presence of SDB as significant predictors of the myocardial <i>DYRK1B</i> expression independent of other clinical covariates. Based on these findings, DYRK1B represents a promising molecular target in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction as well in patients with sleep-disordered breathing.