• Harm H H Feringa, Don Poldermans, Patrick Klein, Jerry Braun, Robert J M Klautz, Ron T van Domburg, Arnoud van der Laarse, Ernst E van der Wall, Robert A E Dion, and Jeroen J Bax.
• Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery/Cardiology, C-5, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands. h.feringa@erasmusmc.nl
• Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2007 Apr 1; 23 (2): 159-65.

Background And AimN-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with heart failure. The present prospective study was designed to assess whether changes in NT-proBNP levels after surgical mitral valve repair reflect changes in heart failure symptoms and changes in left atrial size, left ventricular size and left ventricular function.MethodsThe study population consisted of 22 patients (mean age: 62.8 +/- 14.2 years, 68% male) undergoing surgical mitral valve repair. Serial NT-proBNP measurements, transthoracic echocardiography and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class assessment were performed before and 6 months after surgery.ResultsAll patients underwent successful mitral valve repair and no patients died during follow-up. The decrease in NT-proBNP level was associated with the reduction in left atrial dimension (r = 0.72, P < 0.001), left ventricular end-systolic dimension (r = 0.63, P = 0.002), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (r = 0.46, P = 0.031), and the increase in fractional shortening (r = - 0.63, P = 0.002). Finally, patients with decreasing NT-proBNP levels revealed a significant improvement in heart failure symptoms (NYHA class).ConclusionChanges in NT-proBNP after surgical mitral valve repair reflect changes in heart failure symptoms and changes in left atrial and ventricular dimensions and function.

44 keywords...

hide…