title: Urinary N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide predicts severe retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to evaluate urinary N-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations, normalized to creatinine (UNBCR), to predict morbidities at discharge in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  UNBCR were determined in urine collected on day of life (DOL) 2, 7, 14, and 28 in 136 preterm infants <1500 g birth weight, 22 of whom developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), defined as oxygen supplementation at 36 weeks' gestational age) and 11 infants developed severe retinopathy (ROP), defined as stage 3 or stage ≥ 2 requiring surgery).
  
  
  RESULTS
  UNBCR on DOL 7, 14, and 28 was elevated in infants who developed BPD or ROP compared with controls (P ≤ .001). On multiple regression analysis including birth weight and gestational age, ROP but not BPD remained independently associated with UNBCR on DOL 14 and 28. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves for UNBCR on DOL 14 and 28 to predict ROP were 0.938 (0.027) and 0.954 (0.021), respectively. UNBCR DOL 14 and 28 thresholds exceeded by all infants with severe ROP (100% sensitivity, 100% negative predictive value) had a specificity of 66% and 85%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UNBCR might hold promise to reduce unnecessary eye examinations by timely and accurate identification of infants at risk of severe ROP.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Neonatologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-13344 Berlin, Germany. christoph.czernik@charite.de
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Czernik
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Metze
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bührer
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000652:urine*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000652:urine*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain