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Updated: Oct 13, 2026

Coronary Progenitor Cells and Soluble Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Prognosis after Coronary Angioplasty
Published on: January 28, 2020
Plasma N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and cardiotrophin 1 are raised in unstable angina
S Talwar1, I B Squire, P F Downie
1Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Leicester Royal Infirmary, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK.
Objective:
To compare circulating concentrations of N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (N-BNP) and cardiotrophin 1 in stable and unstable angina.
Design And Setting:
Observational study in a teaching hospital.
Patients:
15 patients with unstable angina, 10 patients with stable angina, and 15 controls.
Main Outcome Measures:
Resting plasma N-BNP and cardiotrophin 1 concentrations.
Results:
N-BNP concentration (median (range)) was 714 fmol/ml (177-3217 fmol/ml) in unstable angina, 169.5 fmol/ml (105.7-399.5 fmol/ml) in stable angina (p = 0.005 v unstable angina), and 150.5 fmol/ml (104. 7-236.9 fmol/ml) in controls (p < 0.0001 v unstable angina; NS v stable angina). Cardiotrophin 1 concentration was 142.5 fmol/ml (42. 2-527.4 fmol/ml) in unstable angina, 73.2 fmol/ml (41.5-102.1 fmol/ml) in stable angina (p < 0.05 v unstable angina), and 27 fmol/ml (6.9-54.1 fmol/ml) in controls (p < 0.0005 v stable angina; p < 0.0001 v unstable angina). Log cardiotrophin 1 correlated with log N-BNP in unstable angina (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
Both circulating N-BNP and cardiotrophin 1 are raised in unstable angina, while cardiotrophin 1 alone is raised in stable angina. The role of cardiotrophin 1 and the relation between cardiotrophin 1 and N-BNP in myocardial ischaemia remain to be defined.
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