Clinical Use of N-terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide Concentrations for Assessing the Severity and Prognosis of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease in Dogs

We have evaluated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) as a diagnostic and prognostic plasma biomarker in dogs with asymptomatic and symptomatic myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). One hundred and twenty-nine dogs with MMVD and 61 healthy dogs were followed from August 2006 to May 2008. Clinical end points were death or progression of the disease. Nt-proBNP concentrations were found to be significantly higher in dogs with MMVD than in control dogs. In dogs with symptomatic MMVD, survival analysis showed a shortened median event-free period in the group having higher concentrations of Nt-proBNP (134 days) compared to the group with lower concentrations of Nt-proBNP (669 days). Heart rate and NtproBNP levels were identified as independent prognostic risk factors for progression of heart failure in dogs with symptomatic MMVD. Our results suggest that the measurement of Nt-proBNP concentration is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in dogs with symptomatic MMVD.