Journal article
N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in a novel screening algorithm for pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis: A case-control study
V Thakkar, WM Stevens, D Prior, OA Moore, J Byron, D Liew, K Patterson, P Hissaria, J Roddy, J Zochling, J Sahhar, P Nash, K Tymms, D Celermajer, E Gabbay, P Youssef, SM Proudman, M Nikpour
Arthritis Research and Therapy | Published : 2012
DOI: 10.1186/ar3876
Abstract
Introduction: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a major cause of mortality in systemic sclerosis. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has emerged as a candidate biomarker that may enable the early detection of systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH). The objective of our study was to incorporate NT-proBNP into a screening algorithm for SSc-PAH that could potentially replace transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) as a more convenient and less costly "first tier" test.Methods: NT-proBNP levels were measured in patients from four clinical groups: a group with right heart catheter (RHC)-diagnosed SSc-PAH before commencement of therapy for PAH; a group..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors thank all members and contributors of the Australian Scleroderma Interest Group (ASIG). Financial support for the present study was provided by Scleroderma Australia, Arthritis Australia, Actelion Australia, Bayer, CSL Biotherapies, GlaxoSmithKline Australia, and Pfizer. Dr. Nikpour is the recipient of a Pfizer Cardiovascular Lipid (CVL) grant. The authors thank the following people for assistance with sample preparation and data collection: Sue Lester, Maureen Rischmueller, Alison Batty, Kerry Cooper, Kathleen Elford, Dot Fowler, Barbara Gemmell, Trish Lewis, Helen Marsden, Leah McWilliams, and Bev Wilson. We thank the patients who participated in this study and St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne IT Department for their expert advice and continued support of the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study and Database.