Does circulating BNP normalize after heart transplantation in patients with normal hemodynamic and right and left heart functions?
GROUND: Increased brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in cardiovascular disease is thought to be a compensatory protective mechanism allowing to delay the occurrence of terminal heart failure. Heart transplantation should normalize the neuroendocrine balance but BNP remains elevated in stable heart-transplant recipients (Htx). Such increase has been related to persistent endothelial and cardiac dysfunctions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether selected Htx, presenting with normal hemodynamic and cardiac systolic and diastolic functions on both side of the heart, show a normalization of their BNP plasma values. METHODS: Of a cohort of well-being 26 Htx, we selected 12 patients with normal hemodynamics and left and right heart systolic and diastolic functions and compared their circulating BNP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) (the BNP second messenger) and endothelin-1 (ET) values with that of 12 age-, body mass index- and mean arterial pressure-matched controls. Cardiac
