Role of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in detecting clinically significant cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis patients

Objectives: Cardiac involvement is recognised as a poor prognostic factor among systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, contributing significantly to mortality. We assessed the role of N-TproBNP in SSc-related cardiac involvement in a retrospective cohort of patients. Methods: Serum N-TproBNP levels were measured in 21 SSc patients with clinically significant cardiac involvement and in a control group of 42 SSc patients without any evidence of heart involvement. All patients had normal pulmonary artery systolic pressure and none had serum creatinine above 140 micromol/L. Results: Compared with those without cardiac involvement, N-TproBNP was significantly increased in SSc patients with heart involvement (median 11 and 219 pmol/L respectively, p