diagnostic value of n terminal pro b type natriuretic peptide (nt-pro bnp) in cardiac involvement in patients with beta- thalassemia

background heart failure is a major cause of death in thalassemia. the study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of n terminal pro b type natriuretic peptide (nt-pro bnp), to early diagnose the cardiac involvement in beta- thalassemia major patients. materials and methods  80 thalassemia patients aged 7 to 18 years old (patients group), and 80 healthy age and gender matched controls were enrolled in the case-control study. patients were selected from those attending to the clinic of aliasghar hospital, zahedan-iran. they were subjected to echo-doppler tissue and conventional examination for both right and left heart function. data were analysis using spss 18.0 software. results  nt-pro bnp increased in patients compared the controls (p<0.001). some of conventional echocardiography left heart&apos;s functions such as deceleration time (dt), simpson&apos;s ejection fraction (ef), myocardial performance index (mpi), were significantly higher in patients, and fractional shortening (fs), ef and the ratio of the early (e) to late (a) ventricular filling velocities (peak e/ peak a), were lower. dti left heart&apos;s functions of ict, isovolumic relaxation time (irt), and mpi were higher in patients, too. conventional echocardiography right heart&apos;s functions, peak e, et, mpi, and peak e/ peak a, were different from patients to controls. conventional echocardiography, left atrial in diastole lad (p=0.01), left ventricular diameter at systole (lvds) (p=0.004), simpson&apos;s left ventricular diastolic dysfunction lvdd (p=0.004), and relative wall thickness (rwt) (p=0.022), were different in patients groups based on of nt- pro bnp cut of point 100. conclusion from the study concluded that left heart dysfunctions had more correlation with nt-probnp compared the right heart functions.