Diagnostic Value of NT-pro BNP Biomarker and Echocardiography in Cardiac Involvements in Beta-thalassemia Patients

Background n-terminal pro–b-type natriuretic peptide (nt-probnp) is a marker to evaluate the cardiac involvement in thalassemia. we aimed to evaluate conventional and tissue doppler echocardiography findings and its relation to plasma nt-pro bnp, ferritin and iron levels in beta-thalassemia patients. materials and methods this study performed on 164 participants equal of major beta- thalassemia patients (n=82), and controls (82 healthy children with normal cardiovascular status). the patients collected from outpatients after applied exclusion criteria. blood samples were taken from participants in fasting to measure nt- pro bnp, ferritin and iron serum. participants were under echocardiography by pediatric cardiologist. the level of error considered as 0.05 for data analysis by spss version 20.0. results nt- pro bnp, iron, ferritin, left s', left a', right a', ef, fs, left and right a/a'; right and left mpi were significantly different in patients group (p<0.05). fs and ef were higher in younger’s and left and right mpi were lower. in higher level of nt-pro bnp right s' had converse trends compared with the iron, its level was higher in patients > 10 years, and fs had different values significantly in lower levels. in lower level of left e/e' resulted that fs was significantly higher in the age group < 10 years. right peak e velocity was significantly higher in younger’s in higher level of left e/e'. right e/e' was significantly higher in elders in lower level of left e/e' (p<0.05). conclusion the study confirmed that nt-pro bnp increases in thalassemia and association with age and lv diastolic dysfunction. nt-pro bnp with e/e' and s' were shown diastolic and systolic dysfunction in thalassemia. therefore, an increased level of ferritin and nt-pro bnp can be used as a marker for the intensification of iron chelation therapy, which reverses iron-induced cardiomyopathy.