Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) complicated by myocardial ischemic injury. METHODS: Thirty-five neonates with HIE (17 cases with concurrent myocardial injury and 18 cases without) were enrolled. Twenty healthy neonates were used as the control group. Plasma NT-proBNP levels were measured using enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The mean plasma NT-proBNP levels in patients with myocardial injury (338.8±76.2 fmol/mL) were significantly higher than those in patients with non-myocardial injury (137.5±45.1 fmol/mL) and in the control group (113.7±53.6 fmol/mL) (P<0.01). The NT-proBNP levels in mild, moderate and severe HIE neonates were 141.3±41.6, 271.8±118.1 and 347.2±85.1 fmol/mL, respectively. Compared with the control group, the NT-proBNP levels in the moderate and the severe HIE groups significantly increased (P<0.01). There were significant differences in the NT-proBNP level among the mild, moderate and severe HIE groups (P<0.05). In patients with myocardial injury, the NT-proBNP levels significantly decreased in the convalescent phase compared with those in the acute phase (225.0±80.0 fmol/mL vs 338.8±76.2 fmol/mL (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma NT-proBNP levels increase in neonates with HIE complicated by myocardial ischemic injury in the acute phase. Detection of NT-proBNP levels may be useful in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemic injury and the severity evaluation of HIE.［Chin J Contemp Pediatr, 2009, 11 (12):973-975］
