Evaluation of Brain Natriuretic Peptides in Early Diagnosis of Cardiac Involvement Comparing to Echocardiographic Findings in Major Thalassemia Patients

Background: Heart disease is one of the leading causes of disability in major thalassemia patients. Timely diagnosis and effective treatment in these patients are essential. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of BNP in the diagnosis of heart involvement compared with echocardiographic findings in patients with major thalassemia. Methods: This case-control study was carried out in patients with major thalassemia aged 9-25 years old admitted to Aliasghar hospital from October 2010 to November 2011. Patients with no obvious cardiac abnormalities were included. 80 major thalassemia patients with 80 healthy children matched by age and sex were entered and for both, echocardiography was performed by a pediatric cardiologist. The serum level of Brain Natriuretic Peptides (BNP) was also evaluated. The data were analyzed by SPSS17. Results: The groups studied were matched well regarding age and gender (P =0.1346, 0.429). Regarding the echocardiographic results, some of the parameters of the left heart in case group were significantly higher than control group as well as some of the parameters of right heart. The mean value of BNP in case group was higher significantly. There was a significant correlation between BNP and right heart MPI (r = 0.229, P = 0.041) and age (r = 0.237, P = 0.035). Conclusion: Based on the results, systolic and diastolic function in patients with major beta thalassemia were impaired. Therefore, measurement of BNP level in addition to serial echocardiography is recommended to early diagnose heart involvement in patients with major beta thalassemia without clinical symptoms.