Salivary B-type natriuretic peptide: a new method for heart failure diagnosis and follow-up

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Biomarker Discovery
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) frequently leads to hospital admissions and reduced quality of life.
• Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cost-effective biomarker for left ventricular dysfunction.
• BNP-guided therapy has shown promise in reducing HF-related mortality and hospitalizations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate salivary BNP concentration as a potential novel biomarker for chronic heart failure (HF).
• To assess the feasibility of using saliva, a less invasive sample type, for HF biomarker analysis.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 35 admitted decompensated HF patients, 35 outpatient HF patients, and 25 healthy controls.
• Collection of both saliva and plasma samples from all participants.
• Analysis of BNP levels in both plasma and saliva across the study groups.

Main Results:

• Plasma NT-proBNP levels were significantly higher in admitted HF patients compared to outpatients and controls.
• Mean salivary BNP levels were elevated in both admitted and outpatient HF groups compared to the control group.
• Salivary BNP showed a significant increase in admitted HF patients (p < 0.001) and outpatient HF patients (p = 0.02) versus controls.

Conclusions:

• B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is detectable in human saliva.
• Salivary BNP levels are significantly higher in patients with heart failure, particularly symptomatic individuals.
• Salivary BNP holds potential as a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of HF, especially in emergency care settings.