Increasing age was associated with a significantly decreasing ratio of plasma NT-proBNP to BNP in children and adolescents with and without congenital heart disease (P<0.001).
Cross-Sectional (n=76)
Does the ratio of NT-proBNP to BNP change with age in children and adolescents?
The ratio of NT-proBNP to BNP decreases with increasing age in children and adolescents, highlighting the need for age-specific considerations when interpreting these biomarkers in pediatric cardiology.
p-value: p=<0.001
BACKGROUND: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the N-terminal fragment of proBNP (NT-proBNP) seem to be useful diagnostic tools also in children with cardiac disease. Recent data suggest that plasma levels of both peptides show different patterns from infancy to adolescence. AIM: To investigate the relationship of BNP and NT-proBNP in children and adolescents according to age. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In 46 individuals without cardiac disease (22 males, 24 females, aged 0.4-17.5 years) and 30 patients with congenital heart disease (17 males, 13 females, aged 0.2-18.4 years), plasma levels of BNP and NT-proBNP were measured in the same sample (triage BNP assay, Biosite and Elecsys NT-proBNP assay, Roche Diagnostics). RESULTS: The range of BNP plasma levels was 5-32 pg/ml in individuals without heart disease and 5-1300 pg/ml in the patient group, the range of NT-proBNP was 10-298 pg/ml and 30-18,966 pg/ml, respectively. In both groups, the ratio NT-proBNP/BNP decreased with increasing age (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Although proBNP is cleaved into the two fragments NT-proBNP and BNP, there is a decreasing ratio of NT-proBNP/BNP with increasing age caused probably by age-dependent differences in the metabolic clearance of both peptides. This has to be considered in comparison studies on BNP and NT-proBNP regarding their benefit to paediatric cardiology.
Koch et al. (Thu,) conducted a cross-sectional in Congenital heart disease (n=76). Increasing age vs. Younger age was evaluated on Ratio of NT-proBNP to BNP (p=<0.001). Increasing age was associated with a significantly decreasing ratio of plasma NT-proBNP to BNP in children and adolescents with and without congenital heart disease (P<0.001).