Relationship between brain natriuretic peptide level and cardiac functions before and after interventional therapy in children with congenital heart disease

AIM To investigate the plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their correlation with cardiac functions before and after transcatheter closure of defects. METHODS Assessment of the severity of heart failure in pediatric patients with CHD was performed according to the New York University Pediatric Heart Failure Index (NYUPHFI). Forty-three children with CHD were divided into the group with heart failure and the group without heart failure. LVEF was measured using Doppler velocimetry and two-dimensional echocardiography. BNP was measured by Roche rapid and quantitative analyzer. RESULTS There was a significant difference in plasma concentration of BNP, NYUPHFI and LVEF between groups before and after catheter closure of the defect (P<0.05, P<0.01). Plasma BNP concentration significantly decreased after surgery in both groups (P<0.01). In all patients, BNP concentration was negatively correlated with LVEF (r=-0.53, P<0.01) and positively correlated with NYUPHFI (r=0.61, P<0.01). In the heart failure group, BNP concentration was negatively correlated with LVEF (r=-0.62, P<0.01) and positively correlated with NYUPHFI (r=0.78, P<0.01). However, there was no significant correlation between BNP and LVEF and between BNP and NYUPHFI in the group without heart failure. CONCLUSION Plasma BNP concentration significantly correlates with the indexes of cardiac functions in children with CHD. After catheter closure of the defect, plasma BNP concentration is significantly decreased with improvement of cardiac functions.