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. 2013 Jul 16:13:88.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2377-13-88.

Brain natriuretic peptide is not predictive of dilated cardiomyopathy in Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and carriers

Steven Schade van Westrum  1 , Lukas Dekker, Rob de Haan, Erik Endert, Ieke Ginjaar, Marianne de Visser, Anneke van der Kooi
Affiliations

Brain natriuretic peptide is not predictive of dilated cardiomyopathy in Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and carriers

Steven Schade van Westrum et al. BMC Neurol. .

Abstract

Background: Cardiomyopathy is reported in Duchenne and Becker muscle dystrophy patients and female carriers. Brain Natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone produced mainly by ventricular cardiomyocytes and its production is up regulated in reaction to increased wall stretching. N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) has been shown to be a robust laboratory parameter to diagnose and monitor cardiac failure, and it may be helpful to screen for asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. Therefore we tested whether NT-proBNP can distinguish patients with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy patients and carriers of a dystrophin mutation with a dilated cardiomyopathy from those without.

Methods: In a cohort of Duchenne and Becker muscle dystrophy patients (n = 143) and carriers (n = 219) NT-proBNP was measured, and echocardiography was performed to diagnose dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Results: In total sixty-one patients (17%) fulfilled the criteria for DCM, whereas 283 patients (78%) had an elevated NT-pro BNP. The sensitivity of NT-proBNP for DCM in patients or carriers was 85%, the specificity 23%, area under the ROC-curve = 0.56. In the specified subgroups there was also no association.

Conclusion: Measurement of NT-pro BNP in patients suffering from Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy and carriers does not distinguish between those with and without dilated cardiomyopathy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of concentration NT-proBNP shows no difference amongst the separate disease categories.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Receiver Operating Curve of NT-proBNP for DCM in the whole cohort.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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