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Value of B-type natriuretic peptide in diagnosing left ventricular dysfunction in dialysis-dependent patients

C Zeng1, T Wei, L Jin

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Lishui City Central Hospital, Zhejiang Province, China.

Internal Medicine Journal
|August 17, 2006
PubMed

Insights

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) effectively diagnoses left ventricular dysfunction in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis. This study shows BNP has high sensitivity and specificity for this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is common in end-stage renal failure.
  • Previous studies show inconsistent accuracy of BNP for diagnosing left ventricular dysfunction in these patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the diagnostic utility of plasma BNP for left ventricular dysfunction in patients on hemodialysis.
  • To assess BNP levels before and after hemodialysis in relation to cardiac function.

Main Methods:

  • Plasma BNP levels were measured in 56 patients undergoing hemodialysis.
  • Measurements were taken before and at multiple time points (10 min, 3, 6, 24 h) after hemodialysis.
  • Comparison was made with healthy subjects and patients with and without left ventricular dysfunction.

Main Results:

  • Pre-dialysis BNP levels were significantly higher in patients (284 pg/mL) than in healthy controls (37 pg/mL).
  • Patients with left ventricular dysfunction had substantially higher BNP levels than those with normal function across all time points.
  • Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed high diagnostic accuracy (AUC > 0.895).
  • A cut-off of 152 pg/mL yielded 81% sensitivity and 83% specificity for diagnosing left ventricular dysfunction.

Conclusions:

  • Plasma BNP is a sensitive and specific biomarker for diagnosing left ventricular dysfunction in dialysis-dependent renal failure patients.
  • BNP measurements are valuable for assessing cardiac function in this population.
Abstract

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