Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), HDL capacity of receiving cholesterol and status of inflammatory cytokines in patients with severe heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) courses with chronic inflammatory process and alterations in lipid metabolism may aggravate the disease. The aim was to test whether the severity of HF, using brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) as a marker, is associated with alterations in functional aspects of HDL, such as lipid transfer, cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) concentration.

Methods: Twenty-five HF patients in NYHA class I/II and 23 in class III/IV were enrolled.

Heart transplantation: review.

Heart transplantation is currently the definitive gold standard surgical approach in the treatment of refractory heart failure. However, the shortage of donors limits the achievement of a greater number of heart transplants, in which the use of mechanical circulatory support devices is increasing. With well-established indications and contraindications, as well as diagnosis and treatment of rejection through defined protocols of immunosuppression, the outcomes of heart transplantation are very favorable.

Agreement of BNP and NT-proBNP and the influence of clinical and laboratory variables.

Objective: To correlate the serum levels of B type natriuretic peptide and the N-terminal fraction of the pro-B type natriuretic peptide, as well as to analyze the influence of age, obesity, renal failure, left ventricle ejection fraction, diastolic dysfunction, and anemia on serum levels of both markers.

Methods: An observational study in which the agreement was compared between these markers in consecutive samples of 138 patients. For the correlation, Pearson's test was used, and p<0.

Role of BNP levels on the prognosis of decompensated advanced heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a condition with poor outcome, especially in advanced cases. Determination of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels is useful in the diagnosis of cardiac decompensation and has also been proving useful in the prognostic evaluation.

Objectives: To verify whether BNP levels are able to identify patients with a poorer outcome and whether it is an independent prognostic factor considering age, gender, cardiac and renal functions, as well as the cause of heart disease.