Left ventricular hypertrophy is the most common organ damage in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) as a marker of heart injury in children with CKD.
Materials and methods: We included 66 children (41 boys and 25 girls) aged 0.7 to 18.6 (median 11.6) years with CKD stage 1-5. The concentrations of urea, creatinine, cystatin C and BNP in blood serum were assessed, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated from the Schwartz and Filler formulas. Patients were divided into groups depending on the CKD stage [group 1: CKD stages 1 + 2 (GFR> 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), group 2: stage 3 (GFR = 30-59 ml/min/1.73 m2), group 3: CKD stage 4 (GFR 15-29 ml/min/ 1.73 m2), group 4 - stage 5 (dialyzed children)]. On the basis of echocardiography, the left ventricular mass (LVM) was calculated, which was indexed for height (left ventricular mass index, LVMI). Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was diagnosed if the LVMI value was > 95th percentile for sex and age.
Results: Depending on the CKD stage the median BNP concentrations for group 1, group 2, group 3, and group 4 were 2.5 pg/ml, 6.0 pg/ml, 9.3 pg/ml and 18.0 pg/ml, and the LVH prevalence 27.3%, 33.3%, 60.0% and 63.6% , respectively. Significant correlations between BNP concentration and LVH expressed by LVMI (R=0.256, p=0.038), creatinine (R=0.453, p<0.001), cystatin (R=0.494, p<0.001) and eGFR (R=-0.473, p<0.001) were found.
Conclusions: In children with chronic kidney disease, BNP is an indicator of heart failure correlating with renal function parameters and left ventricular mass index.
Keywords: BNP; children; chronic kidney disease; left ventricular hypertrophy.
© 2018 MEDPRESS.