The relationship between the level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and prognosis in patients with sepsis

Abstract

To detect the relationship between the level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and prognosis in patients with sepsis. A prospective controlled study was conducted. Sixty cases, including 39 sepsis and 21 severe sepsis, were enrolled from May 2010 to October 2011 in intensive care unit (ICU) of Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. The serum level of NT-proBNP was determined and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEII) score was calculated on the 1st and 3rd day. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was draw. According to the 28-day prognosis, all patients were divided into the survival group (n=42) or the death group (n=18). At the same time 30 healthy people were enrolled as control group. The level of NT-proBNP in the sepsis patients on the 1st and 3rd day were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (65.77±34.78 ng/L, 74.23±42.12 ng/L vs. 48.36±35.53 ng/L, P<0.05 and P<0.01). The level on 1st day of the severe sepsis group was higher than sepsis group (71.69±32.86 ng/L vs. 50.11±36. 98 ng/L, P<0.05), but there was no statistically significance on the 3rd day. The level of NT-proBNP in death group was increased gradually and significantly higher than that of survival group on the 3rd days (99.20±44.34 ng/L vs. 66.79±39.28 ng/L, P<0.05), but no difference was found on the 1st day. The APACHEII score of severe sepsis group were much higher than those of sepsis group on the 1st and 3rd day (1st day:23.92±7.57 vs. 14.87±6.50, 3rd day:19.28±8.80 vs. 10.43±7.27, both P<0.01). The APACHEII score of death group were also much higher than those of survival group on the 1st and 3rd day (1st day:26.71±6.72 vs. 18.83±7.84, 3rd day:31.11±5.06 vs. 13.80±7.27, both P<0.01). The cut point for the evaluation of sepsis prognosis were NT-proBNP≥63.5 ng/L and APACHEII score≥20, which sensitivity were 65.4% and 88.5%, and specificity were 62.5% and 69.4% respectively. Serum NT-proBNP levels elevation imply the poor prognosis in patients with sepsis.