title: Brain natriuretic peptide and other cardiac markers in predicting left ventricular remodeling in patients with the first myocardial infarction.
abstract: Left ventricular remodeling is a complex pathologic process of progressive dilatation, leading to dysfunction and heart failure in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The aim of our study was to determine and evaluate biochemical markers, reflecting cardiac remodeling process in the patients with the first myocardial infarction and to compare those markers with clinical characteristics of left ventricular remodeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide and markers of myocardial necrosis were measured on 1st , 2nd and 7th day after the onset of the first acute myocardial infarction, as well as after 3 and 6 months in 30 patients. Parameters of left ventricular remodeling were determined by echocardiographic investigation, which was performed in the acute phase and after 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Brain natriuretic peptide concentration was found to be related to the left ventricular geometry in the acute phase: brain natriuretic peptide peak level was lower in the patients with the normal left ventricular geometry than in the patients with the changed left ventricular geometry (140.6+/-63.3 pg/ml vs. 385.7+/-283.9, p<0.05). Brain natriuretic peptide concentration in the acute phase was higher in the patients who had increased left ventricular end diastolic diameter through 6-month period (348.9+/-309.4 pg/ml vs. 145.1+/-109.6 pg/ml, p<0.05). Higher troponin I (58.8+/-33.6 ng/ml vs. 30.9+/-31.3 ng/ml, p<0.05) and troponin T (4.5+/-2.2 ng/ml vs. 1.9+/-2.0 ng/ml, p<0.05) levels were also associated with left ventricular dilatation through 6 months after myocardial infarction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brain natriuretic peptide level in acute phase of myocardial infarction is related to the left ventricular geometry changes and remodeling. Brain natriuretic peptide together with other cardiac markers might be useful in predicting subsequent cardiac function.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Sukileliu 17, 50009 Kaunas, Lithuania. dovilek@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dovile
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karciauskaite
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grybauskiene
authors.forename: Pranas
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grybauskas
authors.forename: Jūrate
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janenaite
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form / Q000097:blood; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D049449:Luminescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000097:blood; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D009336:Necrosis; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009211:Myoglobin; D019210:Troponin I; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form