CLINICAL AND INVESTIGATIVE MEDICINE, vol.40, no.6, 2017 (SCI-Expanded)
Purpose: Tenascin-C (TN-C) and amino-terminal fragment of the B-type natriuretic
peptide (NT-proBNP) are the important predictors in prognosis of heart failure (HF).
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of TN-C and NT-proBNP levels
with the frequency and severity of ventricular arrhythmia.
Materials and Methods: Our study included 107 HF patients with EF < 45%. According
to Holter analysis, the patients were divided into two groups as malignant arrhythmia
group (n=29) with Lown Class 4a and 4b arrhythmia and benign arrhythmia
group(n=78) with Lown Class 0-3b arrhythmia. The groups were compared with respect
to levels of TN-C and NT-proBNP. The relationship of TN-C and NT-proBNP levels
with frequency of ventricular premature beat (VPB) was also analyzed.
Findings: NT-proBNP (5042.1±1626 versus 1417.1±1711.6 pg/ml) and TN-C
(1089±348.6 versus 758.5±423.9 ng/ml) levels were significantly higher in the malignant
arrhythmia group than that of the benign arrhythmia group (p<0.001). A significantly
strong positive correlation (r=0.741, p<0.001) was found between the NT-proBNP levels
and VPB numbers of the patients, whereas a significantly weak positive correlation was
detected between the TN-C levels and VPB numbers of the patients (r=0.347, p<0.001).
Conclusion: This study has shown that NT-proBNP and TN-C levels increase in the HF
patients with malignant arrhythmia. In the HF patients; the frequency of ventricular
arrhythmias also increases as NT-proBNP and TN-C levels increase. However, in this
study, the old NT-pro BNP seems better than the TN-C.