<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<bold>Introduction</bold>. Heart failure (HF) is characterized by neuroendocrine activation. The cardiac natriuretic hormones, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), together with their related pro-peptides (proANP and proBNP) represent a group of peptide hormones produced by the heart. A normal NT-proBNP level has a high negative predictive value for heart failure. The use of NT-proBNP testing is helpful in diagnosing acute HF in the emergency care setting, allowing an early and optimal treatment. The purpose of this study is to assess the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in heart failure in children younger than 3 years old and to establish whether it correlates with the NYHA/Ross functional class and left ventricle systolic function.
<bold>Methods</bold>. We enrolled 24 consecutive children with HF due to congenital heart diseases and dilated cardiomyopathy. The serum levels of NT-proBNP were measured, all patients underwent echocardiography and left ventricle ejection fraction was calculated.
<bold>Results</bold>. The highest median value of NT-proBNP was recorded in patients with cyanotic heart diseases (248.0 fmol/mL), p = 0.610. NT-proBNP had a negative correlation with the ejection fraction of the left ventricle: Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was −0.165.
<bold>Conclusions</bold>. NT-proBNP levels correlate with the severity of HF in infants and small children younger than 3 years old with heart failure due to congenital heart diseases and dilated cardiomyopathy.
</abstract>

Introduction. Heart failure (HF) is characterized by neuroendocrine activation. The cardiac natriuretic hormones, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), together with their related pro-peptides (proANP and proBNP) represent a group of peptide hormones produced by the heart. A normal NT-proBNP level has a high negative predictive value for heart failure. The use of NT-proBNP testing is helpful in diagnosing acute HF in the emergency care setting, allowing an early and optimal treatment. The purpose of this study is to assess the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in heart failure in children younger than 3 years old and to establish whether it correlates with the NYHA/Ross functional class and left ventricle systolic function.
Methods. We enrolled 24 consecutive children with HF due to congenital heart diseases and dilated cardiomyopathy. The serum levels of NT-proBNP were measured, all patients underwent echocardiography and left ventricle ejection fraction was calculated.
Results. The highest median value of NT-proBNP was recorded in patients with cyanotic heart diseases (248.0 fmol/mL), p = 0.610. NT-proBNP had a negative correlation with the ejection fraction of the left ventricle: Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was −0.165.
Conclusions. NT-proBNP levels correlate with the severity of HF in infants and small children younger than 3 years old with heart failure due to congenital heart diseases and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Evaluation of NT-proBNP in children with heart failure younger than 3 years old

“Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca

Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics

Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Romanian Journal of Internal Medicine

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Evaluation of NT-proBNP in children with heart failure younger than 3 years old"}

Introduction. Heart failure (HF) is characterized by neuroendocrine activation. The cardiac natriuretic hormones, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)...

Evaluation of NT-proBNP in children with heart failure younger than 3 years old

Published Online: Jun 06, 2017

Page range: 69 - 74

Received: Aug 16, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/rjim-2017-0002

Keywords
NT-proBNP, serum levels, congenital heart diseases, dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricle ejection fraction

© 2017 Daniela Iacob et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Evaluation of NT-proBNP in children with heart failure younger than 3 years old

Published Online: Jun 06, 2017

Page range: 69 - 74

Received: Aug 16, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/rjim-2017-0002

KeywordsNT-proBNP, serum levels, congenital heart diseases, dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricle ejection fraction

© 2017 Daniela Iacob et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
NT-proBNP, serum levels, congenital heart diseases, dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricle ejection fraction