title: [The value of brain natriuretic peptide in connective tissue diseases associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the potential role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the assessment of patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with CTD associated PAH were evaluated by WHO function, echocardiography, right heart catheterization and blood biomarkers. All the clinical data was analyzed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients [age (39.5 ± 11.6) yr] were female. Both NT-proBNP and BNP were significantly increased and significantly correlated (all P < 0.05) respectively with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (r = 0.53 and r = 0.40), right arterial pressure (r = 0.55 and r = 0.42), pulmonary vascular resistance (r = 0.69 and r = 0.61), cardiac index (r = -0.58 and r = -0.46), mixed venous blood oxygen saturation (r = -0.62 and r = -0.54), pericardial effusion (r = 0.46 and r = 0.43), right atrial sizes (r = 0.40 and 0.53, and r = 0.39 and 0.45) and right ventricular size (r = 0.55 and r = 0.37). Furthermore, NT-proBNP, but not BNP, significantly correlated with WHO function class (r = 0.55).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood NT-proBNP and BNP were elevated in patients with CTD associated PAH and paralleled the extent of function class, pulmonary hemodynamic changes and right ventricular remodeling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Zhuang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Xiao-Xiao
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Meng-Tao
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong-Tai
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jiu-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications; D065627:Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain