title: Increased plasma levels of NT-proANP and NT-proBNP as markers of cardiac dysfunction in septic patients.
abstract: The family of natriuretic peptides comprises several structurally related 22-53-amino acid peptides, such as atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), which are vasoactive peptides with vasodilator and diuretic properties and play an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis. The salutary cardiovascular effects of natriuretic peptides suggest that ANP and BNP may have a pathophysiological significance in the cardiac dysfunction of septic patients. We determined plasma levels of the stable N-terminal prohormone forms of ANP (NT-proANP) and BNP (NT-proBNP) as well as troponin I (TNI) as a marker of myocardial cell injury by ELISA methods in 19 septic patients and 19 healthy controls at day one of severe sepsis. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was determined on day 1 of severe sepsis by echocardiography. Significantly higher concentrations of NT-proANP were measured in non-survivors (mean = 13415 pmol/l +/- SEM = 4295) and survivors (mean = 7386 pmol/l +/- SEM = 1807) as compared to controls (mean = 1404 pmol/l +/- SEM = 181; p<0.001). Levels of NT-proBNP were also significantly higher in non-survivors (mean = 3439 pmol/l +/- SEM = 1246; p<0.05) and survivors (mean = 1009 pmol/l +/- SEM = 263; p<0.001) as compared to controls (mean = 200 pmol/l +/- SEM = 24) and correlated well with an increase in TNI-levels (r = 0.71; p<0.001). NT-proANP and NT-proBNP may serve as useful laboratory markers to indicate myocardial dysfunction and may help to differentiate between survivors and non-survivors of severe sepsis.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany. ursula.hoffmann@med.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brueckmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bertsch
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiessner
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liebetrau
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Karl K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borggrefe
authors.forename: Guenter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huhle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C099254:N-terminal proatrial natriuretic peptide; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; D019210:Troponin I; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor