title: Diverse molecular forms of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide in heart failure.
abstract: Recent studies have shown that not only plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)-32, but also plasma proBNP-108 is increased in heart failure (HF), and that the current BNP-32 assay kit crossreacts with proBNP-108. It also was shown that both BNP-32 and proBNP-108 were higher in HF than in normal. The proBNP-108/total BNP (BNP-32 + proBNP-108) ratio was widely distributed and patients with HF with ventricular overload had higher proBNP-108/total BNP ratio than HF patients with atrial overload. Consistent with this finding, proBNP-108 was the major molecular form in ventricular tissue, and BNP-32 was the major molecular form in atrial tissue. In addition, proBNP-108 was the major molecular form of BNP in pericardial fluid. The proBNP-108/total BNP ratio increased with deterioration of HF and decreased with improvement of HF. Thus, not only BNP-32, but also proBNP-108 is increased in HF and the proBNP-108/total BNP ratio also rises in association with pathophysiological conditions such as ventricular overload. A new hypothesis that O-glycosylation at Thr71 in a region close to the cleavage site impairs proBNP-108 processing was proposed. In the future, the precise mechanism of increased proBNP-108 in HF should be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54, Shogoin-Kawara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. nishikim@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikimi
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minamino
authors.forename: Kazuwa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain