Use of changes in B-type natriuretic peptides to detect ischemia in selected patients.
BACKGROUND
There is accumulating evidence that transient exercise-induced ischemia triggers the release of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The aim of this study was to either confirm or refute a previous investigation suggesting that myocardial ischemia can reliably be detected by exercise-induced changes in BNP or NT-proBNP levels in selected patients.


METHODS
A total of 139 consecutive patients with normal left ventricular function and normal resting BNP and NT-proBNP levels referred for rest/stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were analyzed. Levels of BNP and NT-proBNP were determined before and immediately after symptom-limited bicycle ergometry.


RESULTS
Inducible myocardial ischemia on perfusion images was detected in 46 patients (33%). Median exercise-induced increases in BNP (DeltaBNP) and NT-proBNP (DeltaNT-proBNP) were similar in patients with and without inducible ischemia (DeltaBNP 12.7 pg/ml vs. 9.4 pg/ml, p=0.109; DeltaNT-proBNP 7 pg/ml vs. 6 pg/ml, p=0.309). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the ability to detect myocardial ischemia was 0.583 (95% CI, 0.479-0.688) for DeltaBNP, and 0.553 (95% CI, 0.450-0.656) for DeltaNT-proBNP.


CONCLUSIONS
Exercise-induced changes in BNP and NT-proBNP do not reliably detect myocardial ischemia in selected patients.
Staub
Daniel
D
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. staubd@uhbs.ch
Jauslin
Daniel
D
Freidank
Heike
H
Taegtmeyer
Anne
A
Breidthardt
Tobias
T
Zellweger
Michael J
MJ
Mueller-Brand
Jan
J
Christ
Michael
M
Mueller
Christian
C
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain