Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T12:52:37.017Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Brain natriuretic peptide assessed at long-term follow-up before and after maximal exercise in surgically palliated patients with functionally univentricular hearts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2007

Daniel Holmgren*
Affiliation:
The Department of Paediatrics, Division of Cardiology, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
Eva Strömvall-Larsson
Affiliation:
The Department of Paediatrics, Division of Cardiology, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
Per-Arne Lundberg
Affiliation:
The Department of Paediatrics, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
Bengt O. Eriksson
Affiliation:
The Department of Paediatrics, Division of Cardiology, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
Håkan Wåhlander
Affiliation:
The Department of Paediatrics, Division of Cardiology, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden
*
Correspondence to: Daniel Holmgren, Department of Paediatrics, Division of Cardiology, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, SE-416 85 Göteborg, Sweden. Tel: +46-31-3434564; Fax: +46-31-845029; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

We evaluated the concentrations of brain natriuretic peptide in the plasma as a marker of systolic ventricular function before and after maximal exercise in 15 surgically palliated patients with functionally univentricular hearts, with apparently good ventricular function. Of the patients, 6 with median age of 14.6 years, and a range from 12.5 to 17.9 years, had been palliated by construction of a total cavopulmonary connection, while the other 9 patients, with a median age of 32.1 years, and a range from 15.6 to 54.2 years, had undergone the classical Fontan procedure. We used 8 healthy individuals, with a median age of 13.9 years, and a range from 12.8 to 14.2 years, as a control group for the measurements of brain natriuretic peptide. The values of the peptide were significantly higher in those with the classical Fontan procedure, both before, when the median value was 131.8 nanogram per litre, with a range from 0.5 to 296.4, and after maximal exercise, when the median value was 108.1, with a range from 0.1 to 235.9. The comparable values in those with a total cavopulmonary connection were a median of 12.8, and a range from 0.5 to 39.1 before, and a median of 9.7, with a range from 2.7 to 26.2 after maximal exercise. The median value for the control group was 13.1, with a range from 2.6 to 38.7 before exercise (p = 0.016), and a median of 24.1, with a range from 5.8 to 66.7 after maximal exercise (p = 0.03), respectively. In the control subjects, the level of the peptide increased by a median of 9.7 nanograms per litre, with a range from 1.2 to 28.0 after maximal exercise (p = 0.008). The level was unchanged after maximal exercise in those with classical Fontan procedures and total cavopulmonary connections, with a difference between levels before and after exercise of a median of 5.9 nanogram per litre, and a range from −23.7 to 31.0 (p = 0.96), and a median of −1.0 nanogram per litre, with a range from −12.0 to 3.9 (p > 0.99), respectively. We conclude that maximal exercise did not increase the level of brain natriuretic peptide level in those patients with the classical Fontan procedure, nor those with a total cavopulmonary connection, findings which may indicate that systolic ventricular dysfunction is not the major cause of the decreased working capacity observed in patients with well functioning palliated functionally univentricular hearts.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Fontan, F, Baudet, E. Surgical repair of tricuspid atresia. Thorax 1971; 26: 240248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.de Leval, MR, Kilner, P, Gewillig, M, Bull, C. Total cavopulmonary connection: a logical alternative to atriopulmonary connection for complex Fontan operations. Experimental studies and early clinical experience. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1988; 96: 682695.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Bettencourt, P, Ferreira, A, Dias, P, Castro, A, Martins, L, Cerqueira-Gomes, M. Evaluation of brain natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis of heart failure. Cardiology 2000; 93: 1925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Tulevski, II, Groenink, M, van Der Wall, EE et al. . Increased brain and atrial natriuretic peptides in patients with chronic right ventricular pressure overload: correlation between plasma neurohormones and right ventricular dysfunction. Heart 2001; 86: 2730.Google ScholarPubMed
5.Yasue, H, Yoshimura, M, Sumida, H, et al. . Localization and mechanism of secretion of B-type natriuretic peptide in comparison with those of A-type natriuretic peptide in normal subjects and patients with heart failure. Circulation 1994; 90: 195203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Nagaya, N, Nishikimi, T, Okano, Y, et al. . Plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels increase in proportion to the extent of right ventricular dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension. J Am Coll Cardiol 1998; 31: 202208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Muders, F, Kromer, EP, Griese, DP, et al. . Evaluation of plasma natriuretic peptides as markers for left ventricular dysfunction. Am Heart J 1997; 134: 442449.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Holmgren, D, Westerlind, A, Lundberg, PA, Wahlander, H. Increased plasma levels of natriuretic peptide type B and A in children with congenital heart defects with left compared with right ventricular volume overload or pressure overload. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2005; 25: 263269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Westerlind, A, Wahlander, H, Lindstedt, G, Lundberg, PA, Holmgren, D. Clinical signs of heart failure are associated with increased levels of natriuretic peptide types B and A in children with congenital heart defects or cardiomyopathy. Acta Paediatr 2003; 93: 268274.Google Scholar
10.Wahlander, H, Westerlind1, A, Lindstedt, G, Lundberg, PA, Holmgren, D. Increased levels of brain and atrial natriuretic peptides after the first palliative operation, but not after bidirectional glenn anastomosis, in children with functionally univentricular hearts. Cardiol Young 2003; 13: 268274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Stromvall-Larsson, E, Eriksson, BO. Hemodynamic adaptation during exercise in Fontan patients at a long-term follow-up. Scand Cardiovasc J 2002; 36: 16.Google Scholar
12.Ohuchi, H, Takasugi, H, Ohashi, H, et al. . Abnormalities of neurohormonal and cardiac autonomic nervous activities relate poorly to functional status in Fontan patients. Circulation 2004; 26: 26012608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Hjortdal, VE, Stenbog, EV, Ravn, HB, et al. . Neurohormonal activation late after cavopulmonary connection. Heart 2000; 83: 439443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Mair, DD, Puga, FJ, Danielson, GK. The Fontan procedure for tricuspid atresia: early and late results of a 25-year experience with 216 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001; 37: 933939.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Giardini, A, Napoleone, CP, Specchia, S, et al. . Conversion of atriopulmonary Fontan to extracardiac total cavopulmonary connection improves cardiopulmonary function. Int J Cardiol 2006; 113: 341344.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Puga, FJ, Chiavarelli, M, Hagler, DJ. Modification of the Fontan operation applicable to the patients with left AV-valve atresia or single AV-valve. Circulation 1987; 76 (Suppl 3): 5360.Google Scholar
17.Agnoletti, G, Borghi, A, Vignati, G, Crupi, GC. Fontan conversion to total cavopulmonary connection and arrhythmia ablation: clinical and functional results. Heart 2003; 89: 193198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Miura, T, Hiramatsu, T, Forbess, JM, JrMayer, JE. Effect of elevated coronary sinus pressure on coronary blood flow and left ventricular function. Implications after the Fontan operation. Circulation 1995; 92 (Suppl 2): 298303.Google ScholarPubMed
19.Nir, A, Driscoll, DJ, Mottram, CD, et al. . Cardiorespiratory response to exercise after Fontan operation: a serial study. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993; 22: 216220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Gewillig, MH, Lundstrom, UR, Bull, C, Wyse, R, Deanfield, JE. Exercise responses in patients with congenital heart disease after Fontan repair: patterns and determinants of performance. J Am Coll Cardiol 1990; 15: 14241432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Durongpistikul, K, Driscoll, DJ, Mahoney, DW, et al. . Cardiorespiratory response to exercise after modified Fontan operation: determinants of performance. J Am Coll Cardiol 1997; 29: 785790.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Driscoll, DJ, Danielsson, GK, Puga, FJ, Shaff, HV, Heise, CT, Staats, BA. Exercise tolerance and cardiorespiratory response to exercise after the Fontan operation for tricuspid atresia or functional single ventricle. J Am Coll Cardiol 1986; 7: 10871094.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Law, YM, Keller, BB, Feingold, BM, Boyle, GJ. Usefulness of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide to identify ventricular dysfunction in pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease. Am J Cardiol 2005; 95: 474478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Law, YM, Ettedgui, J, Beerman, L, Maisel, A, Tofovic, S. Comparison of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels in single ventricle patients with systemic ventricle heart failure versus isolated cavopulmonary failure. Am J Cardiol 2006; 98: 520524.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Yoshimura, N, Yamaguchi, M, Oshima, Y, et al. . Suppression of the secretion of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide after total cavopulmonary connection. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000; 120: 764769.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed