title: N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide-proBNP levels in ventricular arrhythmias in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ventricular arrhythmias are the most common consequences of structural and functional heart diseases, but cases with no evident pathology are also observed. A parameter indicating asymptomatic circulatory failure could support decisions related to possible treatment of ventricular arrhythmias.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study objective was the evaluation of N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in children with ventricular arrhythmias and an attempt to determine if this parameter may be used for diagnosis and prognosis of ventricular arrhythmias.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was comprised of 36 children age 5 to 17.5 years old with idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (Group B) graded mild or potentially malignant; 29 patients with mild ventricular arrhythmias were included into Group B1; and 7 patients with potentially malignant cases into Group B2. In all the patients, NT-proBNP assays were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NT-proBNP levels in Groups B, B1, B2 and the control group (Group K) were as follows: 41.5 +/- 15.1 pg/mL, 35.5 +/- 18.5 pg/mL, 66.3 +/- 24.9 pg/mL and 31.5 +/- 15.1 pg/mL, respectively. Between the groups with and without arrhythmias (Group B vs Group K), no statistically significant differences in NT-proBNP levels were found. However, markedly higher NT-proBNP levels were shown in the children with potentially malignant arrhythmias (Group B2) compared to the patients with mild arrhythmias (B1) and the control group (Group K).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of NT-proBNP increases with the severity of ventricular arrhythmia. NT-proBNP assays can be helpful for diagnosing and grading the severity of ventricular arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. mazurek30@op.pl
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.forename: Lesław
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Szydłowski
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giec-Fuglewicz
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Markiewicz-Łoskot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain