title: The biomarker N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and liver diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  NT-proBNP has emerged as a powerful diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in heart disease. Studies showed that NT-proBNP is a sensitive biomarker for identifying patients with heart failure caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) related myocarditis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the serum concentration of NT-proBNP and hepatitis virus infection/liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  223 serum samples from blood donors (aged 19~50 years old) were collected as a control group, and 644 samples were obtained from patients infected by hepatitis viruses including 493 HBV: 364 chronic hepatitis (CH), 86 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 43 liver cirrhosis (LC) and 151 HCV (85 CH, 14 HCC, 52 LC). All samples were assayed with an Elecsys immunoassay analyzer for NT-proBNP concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean concentration of NT-proBNP in the control group was 21.77 pg/ml and showed no significant variation with either age or gender. Both the mean value and the rate of abnormality of NT-proBNP were significantly higher for the HBV- and HCV-infected groups in comparison with the control group. The mean NT-proBNP value (380.24 pg/ml) and abnormality rate (38.41%) in the HCV group were higher than that of the HBV group. For samples from patients with HBV/HCV-related hepatic disease/pathology, the mean NT-proBNP value (517.19 pg/ml/597.18 pg/ml) were the highest in the liver cirrhosis group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic pathologic lesions, particularly cirrhosis, may contribute to the elevation of NT-proBNP in subjects with HBV/HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Peking University Health Science Center, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiabao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumori
authors.forename: Yibin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Fengmin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhuang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain