BACKGROUND Circulating N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT pro-BNP), high- sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and big endothelin (big-ET) have been shown to be increased in heart failure and to contribute to both hemodynamic deterioration and cardiovascular remodeling. Here, we examined the prognostic value of the three neurohormones at admission in a population of hospitalized p...

This study was performed to determine whether the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) is a useful biomarker in predicting cardiovascular congestion, mortality, and cardiovascular death and event in chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. A prospective cohort study was conducted in 230 chronic PD patients in a dialysis unit of a university teaching hospital. Serum NT-pro-BNP...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Elective electrical cardioversion is often performed in patients with persistent AF to attempt sinus rhythm (SR) restoration. However, AF recurrences are frequent after successful cardioversion and several predictors have been identified. AIM OF THE STUDY The present study was designed to prosp...

The polypeptide relaxin (RLX) has been suggested to play a role in cardiorenal integration and to be related to the natriuretic peptide system. We hence examined the effects of variations in thoracic blood volume and intravenous volume loading on plasma and urinary RLX levels and associated changes in natriuretic peptide levels in healthy men. Two groups of eight subjects were randomly tilted i...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to characterize factors influencing amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and to evaluate the ability of NT-proBNP to detect left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in a large community sample. BACKGROUND Secretion of BNP increases in cardiac disease, making BNP an attractive biomarker. Amino-terminal proBNP, a fragment of the BNP prohormone, is a ne...

In mammals, natriuretic peptides (NPs) lower blood pressure, reduce blood volume and broadly inhibit cardiovascular remodeling. NPs are often referred to as cardiac hormones, though they also have integral roles in regulating vascular tone, endothelial remodeling and inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell hypertrophy. Two NPs [atrial (ANP) and C-type (CNP)] have been identified as endogenous co...

BACKGROUND NT pro-BNP is a marker of systolic and diastolic dysfunction. OBJECTIVE To determine NT pro-BNP levels in patients with chagasic, hypertrophic, and restrictive heart diseases, as well as with pericardial diseases, and their relation to echocardiographic measurements of systolic and diastolic dysfunction. METHODS A total of 145 patients were divided into the following groups: 1) C...

Detecting left ventricular (LV) dysfunction at an early stage is key in addressing the heart failure epidemic. In proteome profiling experiments in mice subjected either to aortic banding or sham, the circulating CXCR3 ligands monokine induced by interferon-γ (MIG) and interferon-γ inducible protein 10 (IP10) were 5 to 40 fold up-regulated at eight weeks. We assessed the diagnostic value of cir...

The measurements of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), when taken together with conventional clinical assessment, may assist in making the prognosis and also for making serial adjustment of such treatment. But although such commercial assays are currently approved for the diagnosis of heart failure, the role of the natriuretic peptides for monitoring the success ...

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a peptide hormone secreted by cardiomyocytes in response to atrial or ventricular wall stretch and/or pressure overload. It promotes a number of systemic effects, including vasodilatation, increase in urinary output and sodium excretion, as well as inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. Plasma BNP levels have...