© 2006 European Society of Cardiology
NT-proBNP levels and diastolic dysfunction in β-Thalassaemia major patients
a 2nd University Department of Cardiology, Attikon General Hospital Athens, Greece
b 2nd Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center Athens, Greece
* Corresponding author. Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Syngrou 356, 17674 Athens Greece. E-mail address: dtsiapras{at}hotmail.com
 |
Abstract |
|---|
Background: The early diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in β-thalassaemic patients is related to survival. Iron alone or in combination with other factors causes diastolic dysfunction, which usually precedes systolic dysfunction. NT-proBNP is a sensitive biomarker of ventricular dysfunction.
Aim: To evaluate NT-proBNP in non heart failure β-thalassaemic patients.
Methods: Fifty-two β-thalassaemia major patients (mean age: 27.2±12.5 years) with normal LV systolic function, underwent NT-proBNP measurement and a thorough Doppler-echocardiographic and pulsed tissue-Doppler study, 4 days following blood transfusion. Fifty-two age matched healthy controls were also studied.
Results: NT-proBNP and E/E' ratio were increased in thalassaemic patients compared with controls [(469±171 vs 262±51 pmol/l, p<0.001) and (10.8±4.0 vs 6.6±1.1, p<0.001)] and were well correlated (r: 0.54, p<0.01). Although NT-proBNP levels were increased in patients with higher E/E' ratios (E/E' <8: 354±119, 8–15: 516±177, >15: 565±114 pmol/l, ANOVA p: 0.002) this increase only became statistically significant in the 3rd decade of life, while E/E' ratio increased in the 4th decade.
Conclusion: NT-proBNP increases in β-thalassaemia major patients and is related to age and LV diastolic dysfunction. NT-proBNP appears to be an early biomarker of LV diastolic dysfunction, compared with the conventional Echo-Doppler indexes.
Key Words: NT-proBNP • β-thalassaemia major • Diastolic dysfunction
Received April 17, 2006; Revised September 22, 2006; Accepted November 27, 2006