title: Prediction of mortality by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and brain natriuretic peptide in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognostic role of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, especially those with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), remains unknown. In the present study, whether CRP provides prognostic information in DCM patients was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neurohumoral factors and hemodynamics in 84 consecutive DCM patients were measured and these patients were followed up for a mean period of 42 months. During the follow-up period, 23 patients developed cardiac events and 18 patients died of cardiac causes. Using stepwise multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, log brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) (p = 0.007) and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) > 1 mg/L (p = 0.008) were significant independent predictors of cardiac events. The patients were stratified into 4 groups based on the normal serum concentration of hsCRP (1 mg/L) and median plasma concentration of BNP (110 pg/ml). Survival rates were significantly higher in patients with hsCRP < 1 mg/L and BNP < 110 pg/ml. The hazard ratio of patients with BNP > 110 pg/ml and hsCRP > 1 mg/L was 15.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.9-127.2) compared with those with BNP < 110 pg/ml and hsCRP < 1 mg/L for cardiac death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum hsCRP level is an independent prognostic predictor in patients with DCM and the combination of hsCRP and BNP may be useful for the management of CHF patients with DCM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Chitose
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsutamoto
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Toshinari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horie
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002097:C-Reactive Protein