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Hahn, Kang, Moon, Cho, Hwang, Lee, Park, Chung, Kim, Kim, Chang, Shim, and Kim: The Utility of Measurement of Plasma N-terminal Pro-brain Natriuretic Peptide in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension
Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2004; 56(1): 67-76.

Published online: 31 January 2004

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2004.56.1.67

The Utility of Measurement of Plasma N-terminal Pro-brain Natriuretic Peptide in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension

Chang Hoon Hahn, M.D.1, Seok Min Kang, M.D.1, Jin Wook Moon, M.D.1, Jae Hee Cho, M.D.1, Sang Yon Hwang, M.D.1, Jung Min Lee, M.D.1, Moo Suk Park, M.D.1, Jae Ho Chung, M.D.1, Young Sam Kim, M.D.1, 2, Se Kyu Kim, M.D.1, 2, 3, Joon Chang, M.D.1, 2, Won Heum Shim, M.D.1, Sung Kyu Kim, M.D.1, 2

1Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

2The Institute of Chest Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

3Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Sung kyu Kim, M.D. Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea. Phone: 82-2-361-5420, Fax: 82-2-393-6884, skkimpul@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

Copyright©2004. The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Background

Pulmonary hypertension is a poor prognostic factor in patients with chronic respiratory disease. However, diagnosing pulmonary hypertension is a difficult procedure which often requires an invasive test. Thus new alternative biochemical markers would be useful in clinical field and are in search. We sought to assess the role of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Method

We measured plasma NT-proBNP level in twenty nine patients suspected for pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension was defined as being right ventricular systolic pressure more than 35 mm Hg estimated by Doppler echocardiography. Plasma NT-proBNP level was measured by electrochemiluminescence sandwich immunoassay.

Results

The log-transformed values for plasma NT-proBNP levels showed a linear correlation (correlation coefficiency: 0.783, p-value <0.001) with right ventricular systolic pressure. Plasma NT-proBNP levels closely correlated with right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, interventricular septal flattening and right ventricular dilatation.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the measurement of plasma NT-proBNP level is an useful marker of the presence of pulmonary hypertension.

Keywords: N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, Pulmonary hypertension, Echocardiography

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