AGT and congestive heart failure: Circulating IL-16 levels were found to be elevated in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF), while IL-16 overexpression increased cardiac macrophage infiltration and exacerbated cardiac fibrosis in angiotensin II- (Ang II-) infused mice, and IL-16 neutralization had the opposite effects [18].