Application of NT-proBNP and BNP measurements in cardiac care: a more discerning marker for the detection and evaluation of heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Measurement of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has become a potent diagnostic aid as a means of identifying patients with systolic or diastolic dysfunction. Due to better stability in circulating blood, we reasoned that measurement of N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) may be a more discerning marker for the detection and evaluation of chronic heart failure.


METHODS
The relationships between plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP and BNP, and aetiology, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were analyzed in 105 patients with chronic heart failure. Sixty-seven healthy volunteers were studied as the controls.


RESULTS
Both NT-proBNP and BNP showed progressive increases (P<0.001) in proportion to the NYHA classification; the increment of NT-proBNP was larger than that of BNP. Elevated NT-proBNP significantly correlated with BNP (r=0.737, P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristics analysis to detect LVEF<40% showed similar values (area under the curve, AUC: NT-proBNP 0.754 vs. BNP 0.770), however, AUC to detect LVEF<50% tended to be greater for NT-proBNP than that for BNP (NT-proBNP 0.820 vs. BNP 0.794).


CONCLUSIONS
NT-proBNP may be a more discerning marker for the detection and evaluation of heart failure than BNP.
The First Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Tokyo, Japan. y-seino@nms.ac.jp
Yoshihiko
Y
Seino
Akio
A
Ogawa
Teruyo
T
Yamashita
Masato
M
Fukushima
Ken-ichi
K
Ogata
Hiroko
H
Fukumoto
Teruo
T
Takano
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain