The position of "brain natriuretic peptide" (BNP) at the treatment of ascites developing with chronic liver paranchymal disease

Introduction and Scope: Cirrhosis has been indicated to comprise symptoms and findings affecting many organs and systems. For this reason, at cirrhosis plasma pro-BNP levels increase due to hemodynamical circulation. Pro-BNP levels may be affected by the degree of ascites fluid at cirrhosis, independent of cardiac dysfunction. We aimed to evaluate the degree of ascites fluid and pro-BNP levels at cirrhotic patients. Material and Method: Fourty seven cirrhotic patients were included to the study. The relation between pro-BNP levels, measured at startup and 3 months later, and degree of ascites fluid under treatment was evaluated. Findings: At patients with ascites fluid both at startup and control visit, the levels of plasma pro-BNP were significantly high. Besides, there was a significant increase at plasma pro-BNP levels at patients under diuretic treatment with ascites at startup and patients with same or less amount of ascites at control visit (at startup group: 137,04  69 pg/ml p<0,05 at control group 160,78  76 pg/ml p<0,05). Additionally, at this group plasma pro-BNP levels varied with amount of ascites fluid at patients with decreased ascites fluid. Conclusion: Plasma pro-BNP levels were significantly high at startup cirrhosis patients. There was a significant relation between amount of ascites developing at cirrhosis patients and plasma pro-BNP levels. After the treatment of ascites fluid, there was a variability between pro-BNP levels of patients and amount of ascites fluid at control visit (p<0.05). Plasma pro-BNP levels were higher at the group with increased amount of ascites fluid and the increase was significant. (p<0.05). Keywords: Cirrhosis, pro-BNP, Ascites