Plasma Concentration of Big Endothelin-1 and Its Relation With Plasma NT-proBNP and Ventricular Function in Heart Failure Patients

Elevated plasma concentrations of big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) are related with severity and prognosis in patients with heart failure, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a marker of ventricular remodeling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma levels of big ET-1 and NT-proBNP, and between the former and ventricular function. We studied 103 patients with heart failure (75 men, mean age 63 [13] years). Each participant completed a questionnaire and underwent Doppler echocardiographic study to measure ejection fraction (EF), mitral flow propagation velocity (Vp) and atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD). Blood samples were also taken to determine plasma levels of big ET-1, aldosterone and NT-proBNP. For the whole population big ET-1 concentration was 1.03 [0.75] fmol/m, NT-proBNP 619 (307–1328) pg/mL, aldosterone 168 [102] pg/mL, EF 37 [10], Vp 37 [11] cm/s, and AVPD 8.0 [1.7] mm. Plasma big ET-1 correlated positively with plasma NT-proBNP (r=0.50, P