Plasma N-terminal pro BNP and cardiotrophin-1 are elevated in aortic stenosis

Eur J Heart Fail. 2001 Jan;3(1):15-9. doi: 10.1016/s1388-9842(00)00074-x.

Abstract

Background: Echocardiography with Doppler examination of the aortic valve provides a very accurate assessment of the transvalvular gradient and is used to monitor progression of aortic stenosis (AS). Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been shown to correlate with end-systolic wall stress in patients with AS.

Aim: We hypothesized that plasma N-terminal proBNP (NT proBNP) and a newly identified cytokine cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), which has been shown to stimulate BNP production at a transcriptional level are elevated in patients with AS and correlate to the maximum trans-valvular aortic pressure gradient (TVPG).

Method: We compared plasma NT proBNP and CT-1 in 15 AS patients [five males, mean age 79 years [range 60-94], mean TPVG 39.3 mmHg (20-100)] with 10 controls (five male, mean age 68 years [56-79]). Results are expressed as mean [ranges] and comparisons were by the Mann-Whitney test.

Results: NT proBNP levels were elevated in AS patients [252.9 fmol/ml (79.2-541.8)] when compared with the controls (157.2 fmol/ml [104.7-236.9], P<0.005). Also CT-1 levels were elevated in AS patients (57.3 fmol/ml [33-86.3] when compared with the controls [28.3 fmol/ml (6.9-48.3), P<0.0005]. Both NT proBNP and CT-1 levels were correlated to the TVPG (r=0.53 and r=0.65, P<0.05 and P=0.009, respectively). On best subset analysis the strongest correlate with TVPG was CT-1 (R2=38%). The addition of NT proBNP did not improve diagnostic accuracy (R2=39%).

Conclusion: These results suggest NT proBNP and CT-1 levels increase in proportion to the TVPG and could potentially be used to monitor progression of disease non-invasively. These markers may also be useful to identify the optimum time for surgery in AS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / blood*
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cytokines / blood*
  • Echocardiography, Doppler
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Luminescent Measurements
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / blood*
  • Peptide Fragments / blood*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76)
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
  • cardiotrophin 1