title: [Plasma concentration of NT-proBNP in patients with acute coronary syndrome correlated with the severity of the diseases?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate whether the plasma concentration of NT-proBNP in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) correlated with severity of the diseases and whether NT-proBNP is a reliable biochemical marker correctly indicates the severity of ACS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine subjects came from CCU of Cardiology Department of People's Hospital Beijing University from October 2003 to June 2004 and aged 34-85 y (66.89 +/- 11.12 y). In this study the spectrum of ACS only included unstable angina pectoris (UA) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Patients with UA were separated into 3 groups by Braunwald classes and those with AMI were separated into 4 groups by Killip classes when their venous blood samples were collected. Plasma concentration of NT-proBNP was measured by enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay. Data was estimated by SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of NT-proBNP in patients with ACS was dramatically correlative with the severity of the diseases: with the upgrading of Braunwald classes, the concentration of NT-proBNP in patients with UA increased gradually; in patients with AMI it also raised gradually with the upgrading of killip classes; furthermore, the plasma concentration of NT-proBNP in patients with AIM increased much more than that in patients with UA when they are at the similar NYHA functional class.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma concentration of NT-proBNP in patients with ACS might be a reliable biochemical marker which can objectively indicate the degree of this diseases.
authors.affiliation: People's Hospital of Beijing University, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Ya-min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Da-yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain