title: Correlation of brain natriuretic peptide and microalbuminuria in patients with heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes of plasma levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic pepide (NT-proBNP) and microalbuminuria (MAU) in patients with heart failure and the correlation between them.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-one patients with heart failure were divided into different groups according to different stages of heart failure. Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were measured by microsome enzyme immunoassay (MEIA). Plasma levels of MAU were determined by immune scattering turbidimetry (ICTM). Simultaneously, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) were measured by Doppler echocardiography for all patients. The correlation of NT-proBNP and MAU was evaluated at different stages of heart failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma levels of NT-proBNP and MAU increased with the severity of heart failure. There was a high correlation between NT-proBNP and MAU (r = 0.885, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both NT-proBNP and MAU levels were closely associated with the severity of heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000097:blood*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain