Journal Information
Vol. 47. Issue 5.
Pages 246-251 (January 2011)
Share
Share
Download PDF
More article options
Vol. 47. Issue 5.
Pages 246-251 (January 2011)
Original Article
Full text access
Diagnostic Value of N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Pleural Effusions of Cardiac Origin
Valor diagnóstico de los niveles del N-terminal pro-péptido natriurético cerebral en los derrames pleurales de origen cardiaco
Visits
5234
Luis Valdésa,
Corresponding author
luis.valdes.cuadrado@sergas.es

Corresponding author.
, Esther San Joséb, Antonio Posec, Francisco J. González-Barcalaa, José M. Álvarez-Dobañoa, Lucía Ferreiroa, Christian Anchorenaa, Marco F. Pereyraa, José R. González-Juanateyd, Steven A. Sahne
a Servicio de Neumología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
b Servicio de Análisis Clínicos, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
c Servicio de Medicina Interna, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
d Servicio de Cardiología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
e Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
This item has received
Article information
Abstract
Introduction

The diagnosis of cardiogenic pleural effusion (PE) is often difficult to make. The objective of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in PE patients with heart failure, in pleural fluid (PF) and serum (S), and to compare the cholesterol in pleural fluid (CHOL PF) and in serum (CHOL S) with the Light criteria.

Patients and methods

All the biomarkers were evaluated in 398 PF (26.9% transudates). The area under the curve (AUC) quantified the overall diagnostic precision. The diagnostic precision of the different parameters was also assessed using the ROC curves.

Results

The AUC of the ROC for pleural fluid NT-proBNP was 0.894, with no significant differences with CHOL PF (0.914) or with the Light criteria (0.896). The sensitivity, specificity, the positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were 85.1% (94.1% for CHOL PF), 79.9% (90.2% for the Light criteria), 4.24 (7.27 for the Light criteria) and 0.19 (0.07 for CHOL PF), respectively. The combination of NT-proBNP in PF ≥ 276 pg/ml and CHOL PF ≤ 57 mg/dL managed to classify the highest number of PE correctly (sensitivity 97.8%, specificity 85.4%).

Conclusions

The diagnostic yield of NT-proBNP in cardiogenic PE is not superior to the CHOL PF or the Light criteria, although it could be diagnostic in transudates of another origin.

Keywords:
Diagnosis
Heart failure
NT-pro-BNP
Pleural effusion
Resumen
Introducción

El diagnóstico del derrame pleural (DP) cardiogénico plantea dificultades con frecuencia. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue evaluar la utilidad diagnóstica en el DP en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca, de los niveles del fragmento N terminal del pro-péptido natriurético cerebral (NT-proBNP), tanto en líquido pleural (LP) como en sangre (S), y compararlo con los criterios de Light, el colesterol en líquido pleural (COL LP) y en suero (COL S).

Pacientes y método

Todos los biomarcadores fueron evaluados en 398 DP (26,9% trasudados). El área bajo la curva (ABC) cuantificó la precisión diagnóstica global; y mediante curvas ROC se evaluó la precisión diagnóstica de los diversos parámetros.

Resultados

El ABC ROC para el NT-proBNP pleural fue 0,894, sin diferencias significativas con el COL LP (0,914) ni con los criterios de Light (0,896). La sensibilidad, especificidad, razón de probabilidad positiva (RPP) y razón de probabilidad negativa (RPN) fueron 85,1% (94,1% para COL LP), 79,9% (90,2% para los criterios de Light), 4,24 (7,27 para los criterios de Light) y 0,19 (0,07 para COL LP), respectivamente. La combinación del NT-proBNP en LP ≥ 276 pg/ml y COL LP ≤ 57 mg/dL consiguieron clasificar el mayor número de DP correctamente (sensibilidad 97,8%, especificidad 85,4%).

Conclusiones

El rendimiento diagnóstico del NT-proBNP en DP cardiogénicos no es superior al COL LP ni a los criterios de Light, aunque pudiera ser diagnóstico en trasudados de otro origen.

Palabras clave:
Diagnóstico
Insuficiencia cardíaca
NT-pro-BNP
Derrame pleural
Full text is only aviable in PDF
References
[1.]
G.T. Kinasewitz, K.R. Jones.
Effusions from cardiac diseases.
Textbook of pleural diseases, 2nd ed, pp. 315-321
[2.]
A. Eid, J.I. Keddissi, M. Samaha, M.M. Tawk, K. Kimmell, G.T. Kinasewitz.
Exudative effusions in congestive heart failure.
Chest, 122 (2002), pp. 1518-1523
[3.]
P.G. Steg, L. Joubin, J. McCord, W.T. Abraham, J.E. Hollander, T. Omland, et al.
B-type natriuretic peptide and echocardiographic determination of ejection fraction in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure in patients with acute dyspnea.
Chest, 128 (2005), pp. 21-29
[4.]
R.W. Light.
Clinical practice. Pleural effusion.
N Engl J Med, 346 (2002), pp. 1971-1977
[5.]
L. Valdés, A. Pose, J. Suárez, J.R. Gonzalez-Juanatey, A. Sarandeses, E. San José, et al.
Cholesterol: a useful parameter for distinguishing between pleural exudates and transudates.
Chest, 99 (1991), pp. 1097-1102
[6.]
I. Gotsman, Z. Fridlender, A. Meirowitz, D. Dratva, M. Muszkat.
The evaluation of pleural effusions in patients with heart failure.
Am J Med, 111 (2001), pp. 375-378
[7.]
J.E. Heffner, S.A. Sahn, L.K. Brown.
Multilevel likelihood ratios for identifying exudative pleural effusions.
Chest, 121 (2002), pp. 1916-1920
[8.]
S. Romero-Candeira, C. Fernández, C. Martín, J. Sánchez-Paya, L. Hernández.
Influence of diuretics on the concentration of proteins and other components of pleural transudates in patients with heart failure.
Am J Med, 110 (2001), pp. 681-686
[9.]
S.C. Chakko, S.H. Caldwell, P.P. Sforza.
Treatment of congestive heart failure Its effect on pleural fluid chemistry.
Chest, 95 (1989), pp. 798-802
[10.]
L.J. Burgess, F.J. Maritz, J.J. Taljaard.
Comparative analysis of the biochemical parameters used to distinguish between pleural transudates and exudates.
Chest, 107 (1995), pp. 1604-1609
[11.]
J.M. Porcel, M. Vives, G. Cao, A. Esquerda, M. Rubio, C. Rivas.
Measurement of pro-brain natriuretic peptide in pleural fluid for the diagnosis of pleural effusions due to heart failure.
Am J Med, 116 (2004), pp. 417-420
[12.]
J. Tomcsanyi, E. Nagy, M. Somloi, J. Moldvay, A. Bezzegh.
NT-brain natriuretic peptide levels in pleural fluid distinguish between pleural transudates and exudates.
Eur J Heart Fail, 6 (2004), pp. 753-756
[13.]
A. Gegenhuber, T. Mueller, B. Dieplinger, K. Lenz, W. Poelz, M. Haltmayers.
Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with pleural effusions.
Chest, 128 (2005), pp. 1003-1009
[14.]
M. Kolditz, M. Halank, C.S. Schiemanck, A. Schmeisser, G. Höffken.
High diagnostic accuracy of NT-proBNP for cardiac origin of pleural effusions.
Eur Respir J, 28 (2006), pp. 144-150
[15.]
J.M. Porcel, J. Chorda, G. Cao, A. Esquerda, A. Ruiz-González, M. Vives.
Comparing serum and pleural fluid pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels with pleural-to-serum albumin gradient for the identification of cardiac effusions misclassified by Light's criteria.
Respirology, 12 (2007), pp. 654-659
[16.]
H. Liao, M.J. Na, O. Dikensoy, K.B. Lane, B. Randal, R.W. Light.
Diagnostic value of pleural fluid N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with cardiovascular diseases.
[17.]
C.H. Han, J.E. Choi, J.H. Chung.
Clinical utility of pleural fluid NT-pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with pleural effusions.
Inter Med, 47 (2008), pp. 1669-1674
[18.]
J.M. Porcel, M. Martínez-Alonso, G. Cao, S. Bielsa, A. Sopena, A. Esquerda.
Biomarkers of heart failure in pleural fluid.
Chest, 136 (2009), pp. 671-677
[19.]
A.S. Maisel, P. Krishnaswamy, R.M. Nowak, J. McCord, J.E. Hollander, P. Duc, et al.
Rapid measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide in the emergency diagnosis of heart failure.
N Engl J Med, 347 (2002), pp. 161-167
[20.]
S.A. Sahn, J.E. Heffner.
Pleural fluid analysis.
Textbook of pleural diseases, 2nd ed, pp. 209-226
[21.]
M.H. Zweig, G. Campbell.
Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) plots: a fundamental evaluation tool in clinical medicine.
Clinical Chemistry, 39 (1993), pp. 561-577
[22.]
S. Romero-Candeira, L. Hernández, S. Romero-Brufao, D. Orts, C. Fernández, C. Martín.
Is it meaningful to use biochemical parameters to discriminate between transudative and exudative pleural effusions?.
Chest, 122 (2002), pp. 1524-1529
[23]
M. Radvan, P. Svoboda, J. Radvanová, J. Stumar, P. Scheer.
Brain natriuretic peptide in decompensation of liver cirrhosis in non-cardiac patients.
Hepatogastroenterology, 56 (2009), pp. 181-185
[24]
J. Pimenta, C. Paulo, A. Gomes, S. Silva, P. Rocha-Gonçalves, P. Bettencourt.
B-type natriuretic peptide is related to cardiac function and prognosis in hospitalized patients with decompensated cirrhosis.
Liver Int, 30 (2010), pp. 1059-1066
[25]
L.C. Costello-Boerrigter, G. Boerrigter, M.M. Rendfield, R.J. Rodeheffer, L.H. Urban, D.W. Mahoney, et al.
Amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and b-type natriuretic peptide in the general community.
J Am Coll Cardiol, 47 (2006), pp. 345-353
[26]
J. Ordonez-Llanos, P.O. Collinson, R.H. Christenson.
Amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide: analytic considerations.
Am J Cardiol, 101 (2008), pp. 9A-15A
[27]
W.H. Tang, G.S. Francis, D.A. Morrow, L.K. Newby, C.P. Cannon, R.L. Jesse, et al.
National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines: clinical utilization of cardiac biomarker testing in heart failure.
Clin Biochem, 41 (2008), pp. 210-221
[28]
J. Ybarra, F. Planas, F. Navarro-López, S. Pujadas, J. Pujadas, J. Jurado, et al.
Association between sleep-disordered breathing, amino terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and insulin resistance in morbidly obese young women.
Eur J Intern Med, 20 (2009), pp. 174-181
[29]
V. Villena, A. López Encuentra, J. Echave-Sustaeta, C. Álvarez Martínez, P. Martín Escribano.
Estudio prospective de 1.000 pacientes consecutivos con derrame pleura. Etiología del derrame y características de los pacientes.
Arch Bronconeumol, 38 (2002), pp. 21-26
[30]
N. Johnston, T. Jernberg, B. Lindahl, J. Lindback, M. Stridsberg, A. Larsson, et al.
Biochemical indicators of cardiac and renal function in a healthy elderly population.
Clin Biochem, 37 (2004), pp. 210-216
Copyright © 2011. Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica
Archivos de Bronconeumología
Article options
Tools

Are you a health professional able to prescribe or dispense drugs?