Pulmonary Hypertension and its Correlation with Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Serum Level and the Quantity of Left to Right Shunt Based on Echocardiography Findings in Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

Background & Objective: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is one of the common complications of congenital heart diseases in children. The natriuretic peptides such as BNP, ANP and NT-Pro BNP are secreted in response to atrial and/or ventricular stretch. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between pulmonary hypertension with BNP serum level and the quantity of left to right shunt based on echocardiography findings in children with congenital heart disease. Method: In an analytical-descriptive study, 30 children with congenital heart disease after going through echocardiography and being confirmed to have one of VSD, ASD or PDA, were enrolled. The BNP serum level, quantity of the left to right shunt and systolic pulmonary pressure were measured. Results: In the present study, 13 patients were male (43.3%) and 17 (56.7%) were female. The average BNP serum level of patients was 194.9 ± 21.2 (pg/ml). There was a significant relationship between systolic pulmonary pressure and BNP level among patients (P<0.001). There was also a positive correlation between average serum level of BNP and quantity of the left to right shunt (P=0.018). Conclusion: On the basis of echocardiography findings, there was a positive correlation between systolic pulmonary pressure with BNP serum level and the quantity of left to right shunt. Therefore, it can be helpful among patients whom the pulmonary arterial pressure cannot be measured for any reason.