Plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels are positively correlated with pulmonary arterial pressure in atrial septal defect patients

• Plasma NT-proBNP level was significantly higher in PAH group.
• Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was an independent predictor of NT-proBNP.
• NT-proBNP might also be a predictor of the severity of pulmonary hypertension.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a pro-hormone secreted by the myocardium in response to various stimuli, was found to be correlated with several hemodynamic parameters in pulmonary hypertension associated with systemic sclerosis. We investigated plasma NT-proBNP levels and the relationships between NT-proBNP and several hemodynamic parameters in atrial septal defect (ASD) patients with or without pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We found that plasma NT-proBNP level was significantly higher in PAH group compared with the control group (5495.4 ± 388.4 pg/ml vs 4005.1 ± 260.5 pg/ml, P < 0.05). In a multiple regression model analysis, only mean pulmonary arterial pressure was an independent predictor of NT-proBNP (standardized coefficient = 0.663, P = 0.002). In the PAH group, only right atrial systolic pressure was found to be positively correlated with NT-proBNP, whereas other parameters were not found to be correlated with NT-proBNP. Our data suggests that NT-proBNP might also be a predictor of the severity of pulmonary hypertension in the ASD patients.