ELISA analysis of patient serum of Cohort 1 demonstrated significantly increased BNP (p = 1.9 × 10−7, Supplemental Fig. 2S A), TNF-a (p = 2 × 10−4, Fig. 2S B), and CRP (p = 2.47× 10−7, Fig. 2S C) in HF patients when compared to Control, but no significant difference was detected for IL-6 (p = 0.7262, Fig. 2S D). Here, NPPB is linked to hydrops fetalis.