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Plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with rheumatic heart disease
Author(s) -
Gölbaþý Zehra,
Uçar Özgül,
Yüksel Ayşe Geçer,
Gülel Okan,
Aydoğdu Sinan,
Ulusoy Vasfi
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
european journal of heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.149
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1879-0844
pISSN - 1388-9842
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejheart.2004.04.018
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , brain natriuretic peptide , cardiology , heart disease , natriuretic peptide , disease
Abstract Background: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac hormone secreted from the ventricular myocardium as a response to ventricular volume expansion and pressure overload. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is still an important cause of heart failure in developing countries. Aims: To measure BNP levels in patients with RHD and to determine whether BNP concentrations correlate with clinical and echocardiographic findings. Methods: Eighty‐eight patients with rheumatic valve disease and 24 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy subjects were entered in the study. BNP was measured using the Triage B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide test (Biosite Diagnostics, San Diego, CA). Transthoracic echocardiography was performed in all patients to assess the severity of the valve disease and for the measurement of pulmonary artery pressure. Results: The plasma concentrations of BNP were significantly higher in patients with rheumatic heart disease than in control subjects (232±294 vs. 14±12 pg/ml, p <0.0001). The plasma BNP level was significantly higher in NYHA class III+IV than in class II (463±399 vs. 192±243 pg/ml, p <0.0001) and in NYHA class II than in class I (192±243 vs. 112±135 pg/ml, p <0.001). The independent determinants of higher BNP levels were NYHA functional class and systolic pulmonary artery pressure in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: We found increased plasma BNP levels in patients with rheumatic heart disease compared with healthy subjects.