[Analytical evaluation of NT-proBNP assay on Cardiac Reader]

We evaluated a natriuretic peptide NT-proBNP assay on total blood, thanks to unit strips read by an apparatus of delocalized biology, the Cardiac Reader (Roche Diagnostics). Using the principle of immuno-chromatography, (with reading of colour intensity) this test measures concentrations of NT-proBNP from 60 to 3.000 pg/mL. The evaluation of this test shows an excellent repeatability, the absence of hook effect for very high values of NT-proBNP, the absence of BNP recognition and a robustness compared to the interferences classically checked: haemolysis and turbidity. The correlation of this total blood assay with a plasmatic assay by electrochemiluminescence of NT-proBNP is excellent, as well at the analytical level as on the level of the respect of the clinical decisional thresholds classically used. The test's analytical qualities make it an interesting alternative to the assay usually practised on automats in central laboratory. Nevertheless, the provision of this assay in delocalized biology (point of care) must be done according to strict rules of use, to take into account certain analytical constraints guaranteeing results of quality, compared to the therapeutic decisions that can result from.