ATRIAL-NATRIURETIC-PEPTIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN CHILDREN WITH PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION - CORRELATION WITH HEMODYNAMIC MEASUREMENTS

To define the relation between atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and he modynamic parameters in children with pulmonary artery hypertension, w e measured the ANP concentrations of the femoral vein, right atrium, p ulmonary artery, left atrium and left ventricle, or femoral artery in 32 patients during right or left heart catheterization. There is a str ong correlation among the ANP levels obtained from different locations (p < 0.001), and these ANP levels are positively correlated with pulm onary arterial pressures and pulmonary resistance. Patients were divid ed into two groups according to their pulmonary arterial pressure. The group with pulmonary arterial systolic pressure higher than 31 mmHg h ad higher ANP levels than the group with pulmonary arterial systolic p ressure lower than 31 mmHg. When patients were grouped according to th eir pulmonary resistance, ANP levels in the group with pulmonary-resis tance over 2 U/m2 were higher than those in the group with pulmonary r esistance lower than 2 U/m2. In this study ANP levels showed a correla tion with the right ventricular systolic pressure. A correlation was n ot seen between ANP levels and the flow ratios or the presence of shun t. The results of our study suggest that ANP should be considered an i mportant factor in pulmonary hypertension, independent of other factor s.