UNLABELLED: THE AIM of the study was to assess the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma concentrations in patients with CAD and to evaluate the relationships between BNP levels and such parameters of the left ventricular (LV) systolic function as ejection fraction (LVEF) and peak LV emptying rates (PER).MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population comprised 69 patients with CAD, aged 30-79 years. All subjects underwent gated equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography at rest. From the data acquired, LVEF and PER were calculated. The plasma BNP concentrations were determined in blood samples taken from patients with CAD and in 18 healthy subjects and the obtained results were compared with those by radionuclide ventriculography. For this purpose patients with CAD were divided into two subgroups: dLVEF (LVEF<50%) and nLVEF (LVEF>50%). Subjects with normal LVEF (nLVEF) were divided into subgroups with PER greater than median value of this parameter and lower than or equal to the median.RESULTS: In patients with CAD both the BNP concentration and its frequency were significantly higher than in controls. In patients with CAD and dLVEF the BNP concentration was significantly higher than in nLVEF cases. Increased BNP concentration was distinctly more frequent in dLVEF group than in nLVEF, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). In group with nLVEF, the BNP concentration was higher in patients with PER<2.33 (dPER) in comparison to those with PER>2.3 (p>0.05). Not very close, but statistically significant correlation was found between the BNP level on the one hand and the LVEF and PER on the other.CONCLUSIONS: Increased plasma BNP in patients with CAD seem to depend not only on the degree of the myocardial contraction, but also on the dynamics of the left ventricular emptying. The reason for the BNP elevation in cases with CAD and reduced LV ejection rate but normal EF needs to be investigated.
Adult Aged