title: Simultaneous estimation of NT-proBNP on top to mitral flow Doppler echocardiography as an accurate strategy to diagnose diastolic dysfunction in HFNEF.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conventional echocardiography has limited accuracy in detecting diastolic dysfunction and NT-proBNP is known to be a reliable biomarker to rule out heart failure. Therefore NT-proBNP on top to conventional mitral flow Doppler might improve the diagnostic of diastolic dysfunction in patients with heart failure despite normal EF (HFNEF) without using tissue Doppler.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diastolic function of 46 patients with HFNEF was determined by pressure-volume loop obtained by conductance-catheter measurements. LV stiffness correlated with the amount of collagen types I and III analyzed from endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs). NT-proBNP plasma levels correlated with LV stiffness, LVEDP and the collagen amount from EMBs (p<0.01). In another set of patients with HFNEF (n=107, 53 [45-62] years), diastolic dysfunction was confirmed by left and/or right heart catheterization. Their Doppler indices and plasma marker NT-proBNP values were compared with those of 73 controls (186 [70-342] vs 54[30-75] pg/ml, p<0.001). Mitral flow Doppler was impaired in 70/107 (65%) of the HFNEF. When additional criterium NT-proBNP>125 pg/ml was used 96/107 (90%) patients with impaired diastolic function were recognized. Sensitivity of tissue Doppler indices E'/A' and E/E' were improved by 4-6% using NT-proBNP on top. NT-proBNP recognized HFNEF patients with higher hospitalization rate indicated by phone questionnaire, whereas Doppler indices alone did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma NT-proBNP levels are associated with increased LV stiffness and cardiac collagen content. On top measurements of plasma NT-proBNP improve the echocardiography diagnostic of diastolic function and prognostic of rehospitalization in HFNEF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasner
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaub
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Westermann
authors.forename: Hilmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akpulat
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steendijk
authors.forename: Heinz-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schultheiss
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tschöpe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D054144:Heart Failure, Diastolic / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D009017:Morbidity; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain