title: Log-transformed plasma level of brain natriuretic peptide during the acute phase of Kawasaki disease is quantitatively associated with myocardial dysfunction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been considered a biochemical marker for myocarditis in Kawasaki disease. We performed this study to determine its quantitative significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We attempted to correlate log-transformed BNP concentrations (log-BNP) and clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic variables in 81 children with Kawasaki disease. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the variables independently associated with log-BNP concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum C-reactive protein level (P<0.0001), serum alanine aminotransferase concentration (P=0.0032), white blood cell count (P=0.0030), and left ventricular mass index (P=0.0024) were positively related with log-BNP, and hemoglobin level (P<0.0001), serum albumin level (P<0.0001), Na(+) concentrations (P<0.0001), left ventricular fractional shortening (P=0.0080), and peak early diastolic tissue velocity of the left ventricular basal lateral segment (P=0.0045) were negatively related to the log-BNP concentration. Multiple regression analysis showed that serum albumin concentration (R(2)=0.31, P=0.0098) and left ventricular mass index (R(2)=0.09, P=0.0004) were significantly associated with the log-BNP concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated BNP levels during the acute phase of Kawasaki disease may be attributable to cardiac dysfunction associated with the increase in left ventricular mass, and log-BNP concentration may be a quantitative biochemical marker of myocarditis in Kawasaki disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sunhee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Jeong Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Myung-Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hong Ki
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Sail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Hyung Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Young-Hwue
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Kon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: In-Sook
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Park
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