[Changes of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in neonates with myocardial ischemic injury].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) complicated by myocardial ischemic injury.


METHODS
Thirty-five neonates with HIE (17 cases with concurrent myocardial injury and 18 cases without) were enrolled. Twenty healthy neonates were used as the control group. Plasma NT-proBNP levels were measured using enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
The mean plasma NT-proBNP levels in patients with myocardial injury (338.8 + or - 76.2 fmol/mL) were significantly higher than those in patients with non-myocardial injury (137.5 + or - 45.1 fmol/mL) and in the control group (113.7 + or - 53.6 fmol/mL) (p<0.01). The NT-proBNP levels in mild, moderate and severe HIE neonates were 141.3 + or - 41.6, 271.8 + or - 118.1 and 347.2 + or - 85.1 fmol/mL, respectively. Compared with the control group, the NT-proBNP levels in the moderate and the severe HIE groups significantly increased (p<0.01). There were significant differences in the NT-proBNP level among the mild, moderate and severe HIE groups (p<0.05). In patients with myocardial injury, the NT-proBNP levels significantly decreased in the convalescent phase compared with those in the acute phase (225.0 + or - 80.0 fmol/mL vs 338.8 + or - 76.2 fmol/mL (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma NT-proBNP levels increase in neonates with HIE complicated by myocardial ischemic injury in the acute phase. Detection of NT-proBNP levels may be useful in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemic injury and the severity evaluation of HIE.
Zhang
Zhi-Ling
ZL
Department of Pediatrics, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
Lin
Li-Xing
LX
An
Cai-Xia
CX
Tao
Zhong-Bin
ZB
Yang
Mei
M
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000150:complications*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*
D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain