Methods for treatment of cardiovascular disease

1. A method of treating a subject having a cardiovascular condition, said method comprising:

performing an assay to determine a level of soluble Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like-1 (ST2) in a biological sample from a subject having a cardiovascular condition;

comparing the level of soluble ST2 in the biological sample to a predetermined value;

identifying a subject having an elevated level of soluble ST2 as compared to the predetermined value; and

administering to the identified subject a treatment comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor and a therapeutically effective amount of a beta-adrenergic receptor blocker.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cardiovascular condition is selected from the group consisting of cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises a biological fluid.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the biological fluid is blood or serum.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assay comprises contacting the biological sample with an antibody that specifically binds to soluble ST2.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the renin-angiotensin system inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of: an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, an agent that activates the catabolism of angiotensin II, and an agent that prevents the synthesis of angiotensin I.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beta-adrenergic receptor blocker is selected from the group consisting of: atenolol, acebutolol, alprenolol, befunolol, betaxolol, bunitrolol, carteolol, celiprolol, hedroxalol, indenolol, labetalol, levobunolol, mepindolol, methypranol, metindol, metoprolol, metrizoranolol, oxprenolol, pindolol, propranolol, practolol, sotalol, nadolol, tiprenolol, tomalolol, timolol, bupranolol, penbutolol, and trimepranol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is a level of secreted ST2 in a healthy subject.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment is administered orally, nasally, intradermally, by infusion, intravenously, or intramuscularly.

11. A method of treating a subject having a cardiovascular condition, said method comprising:

performing an assay to determine a level of soluble Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like-1 (ST2) in a biological sample from a subject having a cardiovascular condition;

comparing the level of soluble ST2 in the biological sample to a predetermined value;

identifying a subject having an elevated level of soluble ST2 as compared to the predetermined value; and

administering to the identified subject a treatment comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cardiovascular condition is selected from the group consisting of cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sample comprises a biological fluid.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the biological fluid is blood or serum.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the assay comprises contacting the biological sample with an antibody that specifically binds to soluble ST2.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the subject is a human.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the renin-angiotensin system inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of: an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, an agent that activates the catabolism of angiotensin II, and an agent that prevents the synthesis of angiotensin I.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined value is a level of secreted ST2 in a healthy subject.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the treatment is administered orally, nasally, intradermally, by infusion, intravenously, or intramuscularly.

20. A method of treating a subject having a cardiovascular condition, said method comprising:

performing an assay to determine a level of soluble Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like-1 (ST2) in a biological sample from a subject having a cardiovascular condition;

comparing the level of soluble ST2 in the biological sample to a predetermined value;

identifying a subject having an elevated level of soluble ST2 as compared to the predetermined value; and

administering to the identified subject a treatment comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a beta-adrenergic receptor blocker.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the cardiovascular condition is selected from the group consisting of cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the sample comprises a biological fluid.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the biological fluid is blood or serum.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the assay comprises contacting the biological sample with an antibody that specifically binds to soluble ST2.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the subject is a human.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the beta-adrenergic receptor blocker is selected from the group consisting of: atenolol, acebutolol, alprenolol, befunolol, betaxolol, bunitrolol, carteolol, celiprolol, hedroxalol, indenolol, labetalol, levobunolol, mepindolol, methypranol, metindol, metoprolol, metrizoranolol, oxprenolol, pindolol, propranolol, practolol, sotalol, nadolol, tiprenolol, tomalolol, timolol, bupranolol, penbutolol, and trimepranol.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the predetermined value is a level of secreted ST2 in a healthy subject.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the treatment is administered orally, nasally, intradermally, by infusion, intravenously, or intramuscularly.