“…5,6 Despite the biologic variability of BNP with regard to parameters such as age, gender or amount of body fat, its plasma levels are increased in patients with ischemic heart disease, [7][8][9][10] in patients with renal failure on hemodialysis, 11,12 and in patients subjected to heart surgery or heart transplantation. 13,14 Because the value of BNP reflects wall stress and ventricular pressures, levels of this hormone have been studied in heart transplantation as a marker of graft function, especially its usefulness as a biomarker for the detection of acute rejection, [15][16][17][18] ventricular dysfunction and graft vascular disease. 19 -23 Furthermore, although there are few studies to date, the elevation of its levels (BNP or N-terminal proBNP) also appears to have prognostic value with regard to the development of late graft dysfunction or death.…”