Plasma renin activity and pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels in different atrial fibrillation types
1Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta
2Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Kardiyoloji Anabilim Dalı, Trabzon, Türkiye
3Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Sütçü Imam University, Kahramanmaraş
Anatol J Cardiol 2010; 10(4): 317-322 PubMed ID: 20693126 DOI: 10.5152/akd.2010.089
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Abstract

Objective: Renin-angiotensin system may be activated during atrial fibrillation (AF). Our aim was to evaluate plasma renin activity (PRA) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in patients with different AF types who had normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 97 patients with recent (≤7 days), persistent (7 days to 12 months) and permanent AF (>12 months), and age- and sex-matched 30 controls with sinus rhythm. Plasma levels of PRA and NT-pro-BNP were measured and presented as median (25th-75th percentiles). Echocardiographic examination was performed in all population. Variance and logistic regression analyses were also used for multiple comparisons and independent predictors, respectively. Results: Median NT-proBNP levels were higher in overall patients with AF than in controls [114 (63-165) vs 50 (38-58) pg/ml, p<0.001), but PRA level was comparable in both groups. Similarly, NT-proBNP levels were also higher in all subtypes of AF compared with controls (p<0.05). In addition, there was a significant difference in NT-proBNP level among recent, persistent and permanent AF subtypes (p=0.001). This difference mainly derived from the recent AF subtypes. Whereas PRA level was similar in all AF subtypes and controls. Age was an independent predictor of PRA level ≥1.9 ng/ml/hour (OR=1.1, 95% CI 1.01-1.23, p=0.03). With NT-proBNP level ≥52 pg/ml, independent predictors were age (OR=1.1, 95% CI 1.01-1.19, p=0.02), presence of persistent and/or permanent AF (OR=6.8, 95% CI 1.03-45.7, p=0.04) and left atrial dimension (OR=1.2, 95% CI 1.03-1.36, p=0.02). Conclusion: Plasma NT-proBNP levels can be associated with AF and its subtypes in patients with normal LV systolic function, whereas there was no association between PRA levels and AF.