title: Association between changes in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels and changes in left ventricular mass index in stable hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is a powerful predictor of mortality in dialysis patients. Serial measurements of LV mass provide prognostic information. We evaluated the association between changes in biomarkers and changes in LV mass index (LVMI) in hemodialysis (HD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study of 21 stable HD patients with preserved LV ejection fraction (> or =50%). Echocardiography and measurements of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac troponin T were performed on the same day and repeated 6 and 12 months later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, the NT-proBNP and BNP levels correlated with LVMI. Percent changes in LVMI were positively associated with those in log-transformed NT-proBNP levels during both the first (baseline vs. month 6, r = 0.78, p < 0.001) and the second 6 months (months 6 vs. 12, r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Among the 3 biomarkers, NT-proBNP was the only one that was related to changes in LVMI by multivariate correlation analysis, including age, sex, blood pressure, predialysis weight and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that changes in LVMI are closely correlated with variation in NT-proBNP levels in HD patients. These data have significant implications for the application of NT-proBNP as a biomarker for assessing changes in LVMI in HD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: So Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jung Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Min-Ok
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyunjeong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Chang Seok
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ki
authors.forename: Seung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae Joong
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woo Seong
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Ha Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Yoon-Goo
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D009929:Organ Size; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain