title: Usefulness of NT-proBNP in the assessment of patients with aortic or mitral regurgitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent application of brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in cardiac valvular disease is very promising.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the usefulness of NT-proBNP in the assessment of patients with aortic or mitral regurgitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven patients - 23 with aortic and 12 with mitral regurgitation vs. 32 controls - were examined by color Doppler echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHFQ) and plasma NT-proBNP assay at rest (T0) and after maximal physical exercise (T1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  NT-proBNP was significantly higher in patients than in controls, both at T0 (298 +/- 85 vs. 46 +/- 11 pg/ml; P < 0.01) and at T1 (366 +/- 106 vs. 50 +/- 12 pg/ml; P < 0.01). MLWHFQ score was significantly higher in patients (19 +/- 3 vs. 1 +/- 0.6; P < 0.001) with a significant inverse correlation with VO2max (r = -0.538, P < 0.001) and a direct correlation with NT-proBNP (T0: r = 0.415, P < 0.01; T1: r = 0.458, P < 0.01). NT-proBNP was inversely correlated with VO2max (T0: r = -0.444, P < 0.001; T1:r = -0.428, P < 0.001) and directly correlated with left atrial diameter (T0: r = 0.370, P < 0.01; T1: r = 0.409, P = 0.001), and left ventricular mass index (r = 0.279, P < 0.01, and r = 0.272, P < 0.01). No correlations were found between echocardiographic parameters of valvular disease severity and VO2max, NT-proBNP and MLWHFQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NT-proBNP is useful in the assessment of the cardiac functional damage secondary to mitral and aortic regurgitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: Floriana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petracca
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Affuso
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Conza
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Micillo
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guardasole
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scopacasa
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saccà
authors.forename: Serafino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fazio
mesh_terms: D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain