Levels of brain natriuretic peptide in children with right ventricular overload due to congenital cardiac disease

Abstract

There is a significant correlation between right ventricular haemodynamic parameters and concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide in the plasma of children with right ventricular overload due to different types of congenital cardiac disease. The monitoring of brain natriuretic peptide may provide a non-invasive and safe quantitative follow up of the right ventricular pressure and volume overload in these patients.

B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Patients with Systemic Right Ventricle

“…This has been shown in the blood of patients with congenital heart disease [13, 27, 28], but also directly in animal experiments by quantification of myocardial mRNA [29]. Some authors also found increased brain natriuretic peptides in patients with chronic right ventricular pressure load [12, 30]. However, others did not [13].…”

Plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with tetralogy of Fallot after surgical repair

“…This view of BNP as a mirror of ventricular decompensation by volume load instead of a marker for volume load itself can also explain other contradictory reports. Some authors found increased brain natriuretic peptides in patients with chronic right ventricular pressure load [13,14], but others did not [15,19]. Isolated pressure load of the right ventricle due to pulmonary banding, pulmonary valve stenosis or uncorrected tetralogy of Fallot did not cause an increase of BNP [7,27], but right ventricular pressure load together with increased pulmonary artery pressure and resistance was associated with increased BNP [7,30].…”

“…Plasma BNP was significantly higher in females than males (median 37 [IQR 21-57] vs. 16 [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] pg/ml, p = 0.001) (Fig. 1).…”

“…Moreover, pulmonary regurgitation with progressive right ventricular enlargement is next to life-threatening arrhythmias the most important cause of long-term morbidity in patients after tetralogy of Fallot repair. Limited data are available on plasma BNP levels in such patients [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. However, the studies were assessed in small and selected patient groups, the data were partially conflicting, and there is a lack of longitudinal data.…”

Brain natriuretic peptide as a biomarker of systemic right ventricular function in patients with transposition of great arteries after atrial switch operation

“…It has been shown to be useful in the diagnosis, prognostication and refinement of management in adults with heart failure [16][17][18]20]. While previous studies have demonstrated elevated BNP level in ventricular dysfunction complicating different types of congenital heart disease [21][22][23][24][25][26], the role of plasma BNP in the assessment of systemic RV function after atrial switch operation has not been examined. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that plasma BNP is a biomarker of systemic RV function in patients with complete TGA after atrial switch operation.…”