Abstract
Background: In recent years, several systems have been implemented to achieve quick and non-invasive measurements of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Among them, Alere™ heart check (AHC) BNP test represents the most recent advancement. It is a rapid point of care immunoassay (POC), projected for measuring BNP directly from a capillary whole blood sample. Objectives: This study aimed to compare analytical and clinical performances of this new POC to our reference method (Abbott architect system). Patients and Methods: 111 patients with stable chronic heart failure (CHF) referred to two cardiac rehabilitation centers were en- rolled from December 2013 to January 2015. These patients were subjected to a simultaneous capillary (AHC) and plasma (Abbott) BNP measurements. Clinical and analytical performance of AHC were assessed and compared to the reference method. Results: Capillary BNP showed a good correlation with the reference method (r = 0.94, P < 0.0001), although the values diverged when BNP was higher than 1500 pg /mL. Indeed, the AHC had a relatively poor precision and the coefficient of variability was 10.1% and 18% for low and high controls, respectively. However, both methods showed similar diagnostic performances in discriminating patients with heart failure in NYHA class I from those belonging to NYHA classes II-III, with values of area under the curve (AUC) of 0.983 and 0.984, respectively, and equivalent sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative likelihood ratios. Conclusions: The AHC BNP test is a good POC able to provide reliable information about hemodynamic status of CHF patients, especially of those belonging to NYHA classes I-III.
Published Version
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