title: NT-Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Infants with Failure to Thrive due to Caloric Deprivation.
abstract: Background. Brain natriuretic peptide and its inactive fragment N-terminal pro-BNP (N-BNP) are reliable markers of ventricular dysfunction in adults and children. We analyzed the impact of nutritional state on N-BNP levels in infants with failure to thrive (FTT) and in infants with severe heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to compare N-BNP levels in infants with FTT with infants with severe HF and healthy controls. Methods. In a retrospective cohort study, we compared N-BNP levels from all consecutive infants with FTT and bodyweight below the tenth percentile (caloric deprivation (CD) group) to infants with severe HF. Reference values from infants between 2 and 12 month were taken from the literature and healthy infants. Results. Our results show that infants with FTT (n = 15) had significantly (P < .001) elevated N-BNP values compared with the healthy infants (n = 23), 530 (119-3150) pg/mL versus 115 (15-1121) pg/mL. N-BNP values in this CD group are comparable to the median value of infants with severe HF (n = 12) 673 (408-11310) pg/mL. There is no statistical significant difference in age. Conclusion. Nutritional state has an important impact on N-BNP levels in infants with FTT. We could show comparable levels of N-BNP in infants with FTT and infants with severe HF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Caritas Krankenhaus, Uhlandstrasse. 7, 97980 Bad Mergentheim, Germany.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Mänhardt
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norozi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Willaschek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kostuch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buchhorn
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