title: BNP levels in patients with long-term exposure to biomass fuel and its relation to right ventricular function.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated a consistent increased risk for cardiovascular events and pulmonary disease in patients with biomass fuel exposure (BFE). However right ventricular (RV) function have not been investigated yet in these patients. In this study, pulmonary function, right ventricular function and their relations with Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) were investigated in non-smoking female patients with BFE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study population consisted of 39 female patients with BFE (group 1) and, 31 control subjects (group 2). Pulmonary function tests and transthoracic echocardiographic examination were performed. Right ventricular volumes, diameters and tissue velocities were obtained by tissue Doppler echocardiography. BNP levels were measured and correlated to right ventricular measurements and pulmonary artery pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In BFE group, obstructive and restrictive spirometric findings were found. RV diameters, volumes and pulmonary artery pressure were higher in group 1 than group 2. BNP levels were well correlated with right ventricular end diastolic diameter and pulmonary artery pressure. A suspicion is also arised that toxic chemicals in biomass fuel may play a role in RV dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biomass fuel exposure not only cause obstructive and/or restrictive lung disease but also leads to systolic and diastolic right ventricular dysfunction. BNP levels may be used to monitor pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular enlargement in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kartal Kosuyolu Yuksek Ihtisas Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yunus
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Emiroglu
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kargin
authors.forename: Feyza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kargin
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akcakoyun
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mutlu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akcay
authors.forename: Soe Moe
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.forename: Reha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baran
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018533:Biomass; D003296:Cooking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006361:Heating; D006801:Humans; D008372:Manure; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008372:Manure; D012906:Smoke; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain