Plasma natriuretic peptide levels increase with symptoms and severity of mitral regurgitation.
OBJECTIVE
This paper will describe associations between plasma natriuretic peptide levels and the severity and symptoms of mitral regurgitation (MR).


BACKGROUND
A biochemical test that assisted grading of the severity of MR and the interpretation of symptoms would be of clinical value.


METHODS
Forty-nine patients with isolated MR and left ventricular (LV) ejection fractions (EFs) of >55% underwent transthoracic echocardiography, assessment of symptoms, and measurement of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and its amino-terminal portion, N-BNP.


RESULTS
The level of each natriuretic peptide rose with increasing severity of MR and with increases in left atrial (LA) dimensions (p < 0.001 for all comparisons), but no significant correlation existed between any natriuretic peptide and the LV dimensions or EF. Natriuretic peptide levels were higher in symptomatic MR (n = 16, BNP geometric mean 16.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 13.3 to 21.4] pmol/l) compared with asymptomatic MR (n = 33, BNP 7.1 [95% CI 6.0 to 8.4] pmol/l, p < 0.001), and higher in asymptomatic MR than in normal controls (n = 100, BNP 5.3 [95% CI 4.8 to 5.8] pmol/l, p < 0.0001). These differences were similar for N-BNP and ANP and remained statistically significant (p < 0.05) after adjustment for echocardiographic measures of LV function and severity of MR. Both the sensitivity and the specificity for symptoms for the natriuretic peptides (area under receiver-operator characteristic curve for BNP = 0.90, N-BNP = 0.89, ANP = 0.89) were similar to the MR score (0.88) and greater than for LA dimension (0.81), vena contracta width (0.82), and LV end-systolic dimension (0.63).


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma natriuretic peptides levels increase with the severity of MR and are higher in symptomatic compared to asymptomatic patients, even when LV EF is normal.
Sutton
Timothy M
TM
Cardiology Department, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
Stewart
Ralph A H
RA
Gerber
Ivor L
IL
West
Teena M
TM
Richards
A Mark
AM
Yandle
Timothy G
TG
Kerr
Andrew J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor