title: Reference interval determination for N-terminal-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP): a study in blood donors.
abstract: We assessed reference values in a group of apparently healthy blood donors. A total of 1980 blood donors was recruited and tested for the presence of NT-proBNP using a newly developed electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) method. NT-proBNP clustered in all blood donors below the age of 50 years and an upper limit of normal (ULN) was found to be 84 pg/ml for males and 146 pg/ml for females. Mean NT-proBNP values increased with increasing age which was due to an increasing number of individuals exceeding the ULN. Age- and gender-appropriate NT-proBNP levels decreased with increasing hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin but not creatinine levels influenced the NT-proBNP concentration in this cohort. The upper limit of normal can be used in clinical studies to further assess groups of diseased individuals to define clinical cutoffs.
authors.affiliation: Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany. georg.hess@roche.com
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Runkel
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zdunek
authors.forename: Walter E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hitzler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D049449:Luminescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood / Q000592:standards*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood / Q000592:standards*; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D003404:Creatinine