title: B-type natriuretic peptide in children after cardiac transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The normal B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration and the significance of increased BNP concentration in children after orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) remain unknown. We sought to determine plasma BNP concentrations in relation to post-transplant time and to explore factors associated with increased BNP in pediatric OHT recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained plasma BNP concentrations in 44 pediatric patients at 1 to 171 months after OHT. All patients underwent endomyocardial biopsies and echocardiography. We analyzed the association between BNP and post-transplant time, as well as the association between BNP concentration and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) after transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age of study patients ranged from 0.9 to 21.2 years (mean, 11.4 +/- 6.2 years; median, 10.5 years). We evaluated BNP concentrations immediately after transplantation. The mean BNP concentration decreased exponentially to 100 pg/ml by 14 weeks after OHT. Although BNP concentration relative to time after OHT varied among individuals, all patients with multiple measurements showed predictable rates of decrease. This decrease in BNP concentration was not associated with changes in LVEDD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma BNP concentration was elevated in children after OHT and decreased exponentially in time to 100 pg/ml by 14 weeks after OHT. The decrease in BNP concentration was unrelated to left ventricular dimension.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Yueh-Tze
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Ruey-Kang R
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Alejos
authors.forename: Caron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: Glenn T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Wetzel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain