BACKGROUND Measurement of cardiac natriuretic peptides or their precursors in plasma appears promising in the diagnosis of heart failure. However, the currently available assays to measure pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (proBNP)-derived peptides have produced grossly discrepant results. METHODS We treated plasma with trypsin before assay and used in the assay an antibody specific for a proces...

BACKGROUND The Zwolle Risk Score (ZRS) identifies primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) patients at low mortality risk, eligible for early discharge. Recently, this score was improved by adding baseline NT-proBNP. However, the optimal timepoint for NT-proBNP measurement is unknown. METHODS PPCI patients in the On-Time 2 study were candidates. The ZRS and NT-proBNP levels on admiss...

BACKGROUND Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) assay is recommended as a diagnostic tool in emergency-room patients with acute dyspnea. In the intensive care unit (ICU), the utility of this peptide remains a matter of debate. The objectives of this study were to determine whether cut-off values for BNP and N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) reliably diagnosed right and/or left ventricular failur...

BACKGROUND Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with lower circulating levels of N-terminal-pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The Interaction between BMI and NT-proBNP with respect to clinical outcomes is not well characterized in patients with acute heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 686 patients from the biomarker substudy of the ASCEND-HF (Acute Study of Clinical...

BACKGROUND The value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in terms of diagnosis and prognosis in congestive heart failure (CHF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) has been demonstrated previously in various populations, but data on primary care patients are sparse. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of NT-proBNP in pr...

AIMS To assess the role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the diagnosis of major structural heart disease (MSHD) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with those with sinus rhythm (SR) using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. NT-proBNP is elevated in MSHD and heart failure (HF). AF, a common finding in HF and MSHD, is also associated with rai...

The goal of this study was to compare the effects of different reperfusion methods on N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) patients. Fifty subjects were enrolled in the study, 32 patients received PTCA and 18 OPCAB. An NT-proBNP measurement was performed before intervention and at 1,...

AIMS Recently an elevation of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its N-terminal fragment (NT-proBNP) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and aortic regurgitation (AR) has been described. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation of NT-proBNP values to the progression of aortic valve disease. METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred and sixty-eight patients were included. NT-proBNP w...

We investigated the performance of brain natriuretic peptides (BNP and NT-proBNP) in detecting various degrees of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The NT-proBNP assay (Roche) and the BNP assay (Bayer Shionoria) were performed in 46 patients (mean age 50 years; range 20-79 years) with various types of heart disease (chronic heart failure due to coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, acqu...