Values of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponin I in evaluating disease condition of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated with pulmonary hypertension

Objective To explore the values of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)and cardiac troponin I(cTnI)in evaluating disease condition of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)complicated with pulmonary hypertension(PH). Methods Totally 79 COPD patients with PH were selected as combined group, 87 COPD patients without PH were selected as non-combined group, and 40 healthy people were selected as control group. The indexes such as oxygenation index, 6-minute walking distance(6MWT), blood lactate, acute physiology and chronic health score Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ), rate of mechanical ventilation, average hospital stay, NT-proBNP level and cTnI level were compared between groups. Results There were significant differences in oxygenation index, 6MWT, blood lactate, APACHE Ⅱ score, mechanical ventilation rate and average hospital stay between combined group and non-combined group(P<0.05). The results of NT-proBNP, cTnI and the end diastolic diameter of right ventricle in the combined group were significantly higher than those in the non-combined group and the control group(P<0.05), and the levels of NT-proBNP and cTnI in the non-combined group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that NT-proBNP, cTnI, oxygenation - index and blood lactate were the influencing factors of mechanical ventilation in COPD patients(P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of NT-proBNP combined with cTnI were relatively higher in the diagnosis of COPD patients with PH. Conclusion NT-proBNP and cTnI are not only important in the diagnosis of COPD patients with PH, but also can predict the severity of disease and prognosis of patients, and they can be used as sensitive serum biomarkers in evaluation COPD patients with or without PH and right heart dysfunction.