natriuretic-peptide--brain and Takayasu-Arteritis

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and the degree of arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in a variety of diseases. In addition, the levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a marker of ventricular dysfunction, have been found to be higher in patients with TA than in healthy controls. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the plasma NT-proBNP levels and arterial stiffness in patients with TA.. Seventy-two patients with TA were recruited in this study. The participants were analyzed with respect to the NT-proBNP levels, cardiovascular risk factors, TA-related variables and arterial stiffness assessed according to the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). The patients were divided into two groups based on the mean baPWV, and the association between the NT-proBNP and baPWV values was tested using uni- and multivariate analyses.. Twenty-four patients (33.3%) were classified into the high-baPWV group. The body mass index (p=0.035), systolic blood pressure (p＜0.001), diastolic blood pressure (p=0.001), mean blood pressure (p＜0.001), plasma NT-proBNP levels (p=0.036) and total cholesterol levels (p=0.030) were significantly higher in the high-baPWV group than in the low-baPWV group. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed the mean blood pressure (p＜0.001), age (p=0.002), and NT-proBNP level (p=0.002) to be independent determinants of the ba-PWV after adjusting for other confounding factors.. The plasma NT-proBNP levels are independently associated with the degree of arterial stiffness measured according to the baPWV in patients with TA.

Topics: Adult; Ankle; Ankle Brachial Index; Biomarkers; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Prognosis; Pulse Wave Analysis; Risk Factors; Takayasu Arteritis; Vascular Stiffness

Increased levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Inflammation may also affect levels of NT-proBNP. We investigated the relationship of NT-proBNP with inflammation, disease activity, disease severity, and progression of Takayasu arteritis (TA).. Plasma levels of NT-proBNP were determined in 68 patients with TA and in 90 control subjects. Disease activity and disease severity in patients with TA were defined according to the National Institutes of Health and Ishikawa's criteria, respectively.. NT-proBNP levels were higher in patients with active disease (915.0 ± 328.0 pmol/l) and patients in remission (618.2 ± 243.4 pmol/l) than in controls (427.2 ± 81.4 pmol/l) (p < 0.001). Patients with severe TA showed significantly higher NT-proBNP levels than those with mild-moderate TA (924.0 ± 332.4 pmol/l vs 653.8 ± 269.1 pmol/l; p = 0.001). In patients with longitudinal data, NT-proBNP levels at the active phase were significantly higher than those at the stable phase (944.1 ± 216.7 pmol/l vs 552.1 ± 178.2 pmol/l; p = 0.001). Inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and white blood cell count, were independently associated with NT-proBNP levels after adjustment for other confounding factors (R(2) adjusted = 0.307, p = 0.001).. NT-proBNP levels were significantly increased in patients with active TA exhibiting complications. NT-proBNP levels were independently associated with inflammation. These results indicate that NT-proBNP may be a useful marker to assess the status, severity, and progression of TA.

Topics: Adult; Biomarkers; Blood Sedimentation; C-Reactive Protein; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Male; Middle Aged; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Severity of Illness Index; Takayasu Arteritis