• Jens Peter Goetze, Jens F Rehfeld, Regitze Videbaek, Lennart Friis-Hansen, and Jens Kastrup.
• Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. jpg@dadlnet.dk
• Eur. J. Heart Fail. 2005 Jan 1; 7 (1): 69-74.

BackgroundPlasma concentrations of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP-32) and its precursor (proBNP) are increased in chronic heart failure. Accordingly, BNP-32 and proBNP are both being implemented as clinical markers.AimTo determine the molar relation of BNP-32 and proBNP in different cardiovascular regions.Methods And ResultsBlood samples were obtained from different cardiovascular regions during right heart catheterization in heart failure patients, and from normal subjects. Plasma BNP-32 and proBNP concentrations were measured using sequence-specific radioimmunoassays. Patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction (n=21) displayed increased peripheral plasma concentrations of both BNP-32 (four-fold, P=0.0008) and proBNP (seven-fold, P=0.0002) compared with normal subjects. Moreover, the peripheral concentrations were highly correlated with the corresponding concentrations in the coronary sinus (BNP-32: r=0.97, P<0.0001; proBNP: r=0.94, P<0.0001). Despite comparable peripheral concentrations of BNP-32 and proBNP, the BNP-32 concentration was higher than the proBNP concentration in the coronary sinus (median 126 pmol/l (21-993) vs. 103 pmol/l (16-691), P=0.035).ConclusionsThe BNP-32 and proBNP concentrations are closely related in venous cardiac blood. The findings suggest an overall constitutive secretion of processed proBNP, i.e. an N-terminal precursor fragment and BNP-32, in chronic heart failure.

27 keywords...

hide…