title: Changes of plasma adrenomedullin and proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide concentrations in patients with heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes in plasma adrenomedullin (ADM) and proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) concentrations and their clinical significance in the pathological process of congestive heart failure (CHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma ADM and PAMP concentrations in 45 patients with CHF (according to the functional classification of New York Heart Association, NYHA) and 20 control subjects were measured by specific radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma ADM concentrations were 51.464+/-.52 pg/ml and 70.39+/-3.22 pg/ml respectively in patients of NYHA class II and class III, which were significantly higher than those in control subjects (24.12+/-1.59 pg/ml, P<0.05 for both comparisons), while significant differences in plasma PAMP concentrations were not identified in the 2 groups of patients (6.24+/-1.71 pg/ml and 7.38+/-1.28 pg/ml, respectively) in comparison with the control level(8.56+/-2.44 pg/ml, P>0.05 for both comparisons). Patients of NYHA class IV, when compared with the 2 groups of patients mentioned above, had significantly decreased plasma ADM and PAMP concentrations (36.33+/-2.17 pg/ml and 2.79+/-0.89 pg/ml respectively, P<0.05 in both cases), but had higher plasma ADM and lower PAMP concentrations when compared with the control subjects, (P<0.05 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The changes of plasma ADM and PAMP concentrations at different stages of CHF indicate intramolecular regulation disturbances of vasodilator peptides of proadrenomedullin, and ADM may play a more important role in the development of CHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Qi
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zhi-Liang
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong-Chao
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chao-Shu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Quan-Neng
authors.initials: QN
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011506:Proteins
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011506:Proteins; C088633:proadrenomedullin; D053607:Adrenomedullin