title: Molecular forms of human brain natriuretic peptide in plasma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a vasoreactive peptide hormone, which is synthesized and secreted mainly from the heart ventricles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Molecular forms of immunoreactive human brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were examined. Chemically synthesized human BNP was added to whole blood samples from a healthy volunteer. The immunoreactive peptide was recovered by immunoaffinity chromatography followed by reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC). Molecular form of immunoreactive BNP in plasma from heart failure patients was also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sequential analysis and amino acid analysis of the peptide revealed that two amino acid residues were deleted from the amino terminus of BNP. When roughly classified according to molecular weight (MW), two forms of BNP (high-MW BNP and low-MW BNP) were observed. The estimated MW of high-MW BNP (36 kDa) was three times that of pro-BNP (12 kDa).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of low-MW BNP by RP-HPLC revealed that a small amount of BNP 1-32 or des-SerPro-BNP (BNP 3-32) was contained in plasma from heart failure patients.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostics Department, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., 2-5-1 Mishima, Settsu, Osaka 566-0022, Japan. hiroyuki.simizu@shionogi.co.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuta
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aono
authors.forename: Hidehisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasakura
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain