Serum levels of NT-proBNP as surrogate for cardiac amyloid burden: new evidence from gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with amyloidosis

Abstract

Background. The prognostic value of NT-proBNP has been recognized in patients with amyloidosis complicated by cardiac involvement. We aimed to use contrast enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to identify functional and structural alterations related to levels of NT-proBNP better to understand the mechanisms of its release in cardiac amyloidosis.

Methods and Results. CMR was performed on a 1.5-T scanner in 34 patients with biopsy proven amyloid light chain (AL; n = 27) or hereditary transthyretin related (TTR; n = 7) amyloidosis. NT-proBNP was higher in patients with (n = 25) compared to patients without cardiac involvement (n = 9) (2931 (IQR: 972–8629; min-max: 25–27,277) pg/ml vs. 177 (IQR: 71–1431; min-max: 22–7935) pg/ml, p = 0.008). ROC analysis identified a NT-proBNP of <2426.5 pg/ml as optimal discriminator for event free survival (682 ± 65 days). NT-proBNP did not correlate with LV- ejection fraction, end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes or stroke volume. There was a moderate correlation between NT-proBNP and LV-mass (R = 0.52, p = 0.003) and extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE; R = 0.41, p = 0.04).

Conclusions. This study confirms the prognostic value of NT-proBNP in patients with AL and TTR amyloidosis and provides the novel finding that NT-proBNP correlates with surrogates of myocardial amyloid burden such as LV-mass and LGE, supporting the concept of NT-proBNP as a biomarker reflecting the severity of cardiac amyloid infiltration.

Keywords:

• Cardiac amyloidosis
• natriuretic peptides
• cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
• prognosis

We would like to thank Mrs. Birgit Hoerig, BS and Mrs. Angela Stoecker- Wochele, BS for their excellent technical support in the acquisition of MRI scans.