Characteristics of the increase in
plasma brain natriuretic peptide level in left ventricular systolic
dysfunction, associated with muscular dystrophy in comparison with idiopathic
dilated cardiomyopathy
In
Press: Neuromuscular Disorders, 2004
Jun
Demachi, Yutaka Kagaya, Jun Watanabe, Masahito Sakuma, Jun Ikeda, Yasunori
Kakuta, Iyoko Motoyoshi, Takeshi Kohnosu, Hiroaki Sakuma, Shigeru Shimazaki,
Hideaki Sakai, Teiko Kimpara, Toshiaki Takahashi, Kiyoshi Omura, Miho Okada,
Hiroshi Saito, Kunio Shirato - Japan
Abstract
To determine whether the plasma brain natriuretic
peptide level increases differentially in muscular dystrophy and idiopathic
dilated cardiomyopathy, we investigated the plasma brain natriuretic peptide
level and echocardiographic parameters in patients with similarly low left
ventricular ejection fraction. The plasma brain natriuretic peptide level was
lower, and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was shorter in the
patients with muscular dystrophy than in those with idiopathic dilated
cardiomyopathy. The correlation between the plasma brain natriuretic peptide
and left ventricular ejection fraction was shifted downward in the patients
with muscular dystrophy compared with those with idiopathic dilated
cardiomyopathy. Those between the brain natriuretic peptide and left
ventricular end-diastolic diameter were superimposable, although the data from
the muscular dystrophy patients were located at the shorter left ventricular
end-diastolic diameter side. The plasma brain natriuretic peptide level may
differentially increase in the two diseases with similar left ventricular
systolic dysfunction. Differences in the left ventricular distension and in the
physical activity might explain at least partially the different plasma brain
natriuretic peptide levels.