N‐Terminal Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Immunoreactivity in Plasma of Cats with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is an important regulator of fluid homeostasis and vascular tone. We sought to compare N‐terminal ANP immunoreactivity (ANP‐IR) in plasma from cats with and without hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Secondarily, we evaluated relationships between ANP‐IR and echocardiographical variables in cats with HCM and healthy cats. Venous blood samples were obtained from 17 cats with HCM and from 19 healthy cats. Plasma ANP‐IR concentration was determined by an enzyme‐linked immunoassay. Two cats with HCM had clinical evidence of congestive heart failure; the remainder had subclinical disease. Plasma ANP‐IR concentration was higher in cats with HCM (3,808 ± 1,406 fmol/L, mean ± SD) than in control cats (3,079 ± 1,233 fmol/L), but this difference was not statistically significant ( P = .11; 95% confidence interval [CI] = ‐166 to 1,622). There was a significant, but modest correlation between plasma ANP‐IR concentration and left ventricular posterior wall thickness ( r = 0.42; P = .01). Additionally, plasma ANP‐IR concentration was weakly correlated with left atrial size ( r = 0.35; P = .03). A linear regression model was developed to further explore these relationships. Atrial size and wall thickness were included in the model; the 2 explanatory variables had an interactive effect on plasma ANP‐IR concentration ( R 2 = 0.27; P = .02). There was no appreciable correlation between plasma ANP‐IR concentration and any other echocardiographical variable. In a population that included cats with subclinical disease, those with HCM did not have significantly higher plasma ANP‐IR concentration than did healthy cats. An exploratory multivariable regression analysis suggested a linear relationship between ANP‐IR concentration and atrial size, wall thickness, and their interaction.