Tehran University of Medical Sciences The Research in Heart Yield and Translational Medicine (RHYTHM) 3115-7270 11 2 2016 10 10 68 72 EN Behzad Alizadeh Emam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Zahra Badiee Doctor Sheikh Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Mahmoud Mahmoudi Emam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Mahsa Mohajery Emam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. AND Doctor Sheikh Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 2016 07 04 2016 07 04 Background: N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a sensitive biomarker for the detection of asymptomatic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Since β-thalassemia major patients suffer from early diastolic dysfunction due to iron deposition of chronic blood transfusion, we tried to evaluate the correlation between the serum NT-proBNP level and the severity of LV diastolic dysfunction determined by echocardiography in these patients. Methods: Fifty β-thalassemia major patients with normal LV systolic function were studied by tissue Doppler echocardiography, and blood samples were taken at the same time to measure the serum NT-proBNP level. Using flow velocity through the mitral valve on the tissue velocity of the mitral annulus in early ventricular filling (E/E') as an LV diastolic function indicator, the patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1) no diastolic dysfunction (E/E' < 8), group 2) suspected diastolic dysfunction (E/E' = 8-15), and group 3) documented diastolic dysfunction (E/E' >15). Other variables assessed included sex, age, method of chelator therapy, and mean hemoglobin and ferritin levels for the past 2 years. Results: According to the echocardiographic findings of all the 50 patients (29 male and 21 female) with an age range of 11-35 years (mean = 17.98 y), 46% were classified in group 1, 54% in group 2, and none in group 3. The NT-proBNP level was 1070 ± 566 ng/mL in group 1 and 974 ± 515 ng/mL in group 2. The t-test showed no significant difference between groups 1 and 2 in the NT-proBNP level (p value = 0.536). Conclusions: Due to specific conditions in thalassemia major patients, the correlation between the serum NT-proBNP level and the severity of diastolic dysfunction seems to be not meaningful. https://rhythm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jthc/article/view/582 https://rhythm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jthc/article/download/582/452