title: High brain-natriuretic peptide level predicts cirrhotic cardiomyopathy in liver transplant patients.
abstract: Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy may appear following liver transplantation. Brain-natriuretic peptide (BNP) values exceeding 391 pg/ml or 567 pg/ml may partially reflect ventricular stress because of cardiac dysfunction or indicate cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, respectively. The aim of the study was to assess cardiac dysfunction in liver transplant patients and its correlation with BNP as a biomarker. From 1/2008 to 7/2009, 157 adult liver transplant recipients with proven cirrhosis were recruited for the study. BNP and liver enzymes were recorded upon admission, on the first postoperative day (POD) and 1 week after transplantation. Patients with ischemic heart attacks were excluded from the study. We identified two groups of patients. Group 1 was characterized by a BNP <391 pg/ml and Group 2 by a BNP >391 pg/ml. Group 2 had a significantly higher model of end-stage liver disease score than Group 1 (median 30, range 10-40 versus median 22, range 10-40, respectively; P = 0.003), required significantly more dialysis treatments and had a significantly higher mortality rate. Postoperative echocardiography in patients with a BNP >391 pg/ml indicated diastolic dysfunction in all of the patients and systolic dysfunction in 10 of the patients. Increased serum-BNP was associated with an overall higher mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany. fuat.saner@uni-due.de
authors.forename: Fuat H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Saner
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canbay
authors.forename: Juergen W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Treckmann
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goerlinger
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertram
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beckebaum
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cicinnati
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D003422:Critical Care; D003971:Diastole; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D013599:Systole
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain