The invention concerns new secreted factors encoded by clones P00184_D11 (SEQ ID NO: 1), P00185_D11 (SEQ ID NO: 3), P00188_D12 (SEQ ID NO: 5), P00188_E01 (SEQ ID NO: 7), P00194_G01 (SEQ ID NO: 9), P00194_G05 (SEQ ID NO: 11), P00194_H10 (SEQ ID NO: 13), P00199_D08 (SEQ ID NO: 15), P00203_D04 (SEQ ID NO: 17), P00203_E06 (SEQ ID NO: 19), P00209_F06 (SEQ ID NO: 21), P00219_D02 (SEQ ID NO: 23), P00219_F06 (SEQ ID NO: 25), P00220_H05 (SEQ ID NO: 27), P00222_G03 (SEQ ID NO: 29), P00225_C01 (SEQ ID NO: 32), P00227_D11 (SEQ ID NO: 34), P00228_F03 (SEQ ID NO: 36), P00233_H08 (SEQ ID NO: 38), P00235_G08 (SEQ ID NO: 40), P00239_C11 (SEQ ID NO: 42), P00240_E05 (SEQ ID NO: 45), P00247_A04 (SEQ ID NO: 50), P00248_B04 (SEQ ID NO: 52), P00249_F09 (SEQ ID NO: 54), P00258_A10 (SEQ ID NO: 56), P00262_C10 (SEQ ID NO: 58), P00269_H08 (SEQ ID NO: 62), P00628_H02 (SEQ ID NO: 66), P00629_C08 (SEQ ID NO: 68), P00641_G11 (SEQ ID NO: 71), P00648_E12 (SEQ ID NO: 73), P00697_C03 (SEQ ID NO: 75), and other mammalian homologues and variants of such factor, as well as polynucleotides encoding them. The invention further concerns methods and means for producing such factors and their use in the diagnosis and treatment of various cardiac, renal or inflammatory diseases.