N-terminal pro atrial natriuretic peptide as a prognostic marker of cardiac resynchronization therapy recipients

BACKGROUND: Although the dynamic changes of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) expressions in a failing heart are well-documented, the clinical implications of detailed measurements of each ANP molecular form processed from proANP remain unclear. METHODS: Patients screening was conducted on patients who were eligible for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) between 2014 and 2019 in our institution. Blood samples and echocardiographic parameters were collected on the day before and six months after implantation. Total ANP, proANP, and N-terminal fragment of proANP (NT-proANP) were examined as predictive biomarkers for cardiac death, left ventricular assist device implantation, and heart failure hospitalization following CRT implantation. RESULTS: A total of 86 subjects (mean age 70 years, 64 males) who underwent successful CRT implantation were enrolled. Plasma levels of total ANP, proANP, and NT-proANP were not normally distributed [25.8 pM (interquartile range: 11.1–53.1), 2.2 pM (1.0–5.4), and 4.1 nM (2.4–7.1), respectively]. Over a median follow-up of 2.7 years, 31 patients (2 deaths and 29 heart failure hospitalizations) reached the endpoints. Among the different ANP forms, only NT-proANP emerged as an independent predictor of the composite outcome (adjusted odds ratio of 2.542 in those with levels above vs. below the median, 95 % confidence interval 1.151–5.615, p = 0.021). NT-proANP levels were associated with left atrial volume and left diastolic functional parameters and decreased in response to echocardiographic improvements at six months post-implantation (16 ± 44 % decrease in responders vs 18 ± 60 % increase in non-responders, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Pre-implantation NT-proANP levels could serve as a predictive factor for clinical outcomes in recipients of CRT.