Correlation between BNP levels and Doppler echocardiographic parameters of left ventricle filling pressure in patients with Chagasic cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy is the most important manifestation of Chagas' disease. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and Doppler echocardiographic parameters for diastolic dysfunction have shown correlation with left ventricle (LV) filling pressures.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to compare BNP levels with Doppler echocardiographic parameters in patients with chagasic cardiomyopathy.


METHODS
Forty-three patients (69.8% men; mean age 41.0 +/- 10.4 years) were submitted to an echocardiographic study and 39 had their BNP levels measured.


RESULTS
BNP levels increased with the deterioration of the diastolic function (P=0.025). Pulmonary venous flow parameters were correlated with BNP levels, but E/E'ratio (E'measured at the inferior mitral annulus) was the only diastolic parameter that remained an independent predictor of elevated BNP levels in the multivariate analysis. The area under the receiver-operating curve for BNP to detect E/E' >15 was 0.875. A BNP value of 280.4 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 75% for predicting E/E' >15.


CONCLUSIONS
In a group of patients with chagasic cardiomyopathy, BNP levels correlated with diastolic function patterns regardless of systolic function. The E/E'ratio (inferior wall) was the only isolated parameter of diastolic function that was independently associated with BNP levels.
Oliveira
Bráulio M R
BM
Postgraduate Course of Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. muzzi.bhz@terra.com.br
Botoni
Fernando A
FA
Ribeiro
Antonio L P
AL
Pinto
Airandes S
AS
Reis
Adelina M
AM
Nunes
Maria do Carmo P
Mdo C
Rocha
Manoel O C
MO
D000328:Adult; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D017725:Ventricular Pressure
D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain