title: Brain natriuretic peptide is not predictive of dilated cardiomyopathy in Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and carriers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiomyopathy is reported in Duchenne and Becker muscle dystrophy patients and female carriers. Brain Natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone produced mainly by ventricular cardiomyocytes and its production is up regulated in reaction to increased wall stretching. N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) has been shown to be a robust laboratory parameter to diagnose and monitor cardiac failure, and it may be helpful to screen for asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. Therefore we tested whether NT-proBNP can distinguish patients with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy patients and carriers of a dystrophin mutation with a dilated cardiomyopathy from those without.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cohort of Duchenne and Becker muscle dystrophy patients (n = 143) and carriers (n = 219) NT-proBNP was measured, and echocardiography was performed to diagnose dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total sixty-one patients (17%) fulfilled the criteria for DCM, whereas 283 patients (78%) had an elevated NT-pro BNP. The sensitivity of NT-proBNP for DCM in patients or carriers was 85%, the specificity 23%, area under the ROC-curve = 0.56. In the specified subgroups there was also no association.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of NT-pro BNP in patients suffering from Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy and carriers does not distinguish between those with and without dilated cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam 1100 DD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schade van Westrum
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Endert
authors.forename: Ieke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ginjaar
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Visser
authors.forename: Anneke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Kooi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016189:Dystrophin / Q000235:genetics; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016189:Dystrophin; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain