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Copeptin in the Differential Diagnosis of Hyponatremia

Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit (W.F., A.B., B.A.), Cardiology Unit (S.S.), Division of Intensive Care Medicine (S.G.K.M.), and Department of Medicine I, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; and Research Department (N.G.M.), B.R.A.H.M.S. AG, D-16761 Hennigsdorf/Berlin, Germany

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Professor Dr. Bruno Allolio, M.D., Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Department of Medicine I, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany. E-mail: allolio_b{at}medizin.uni-wuerzburg.de.

Background: Treatment of patients with hyponatremia varies widely; thus, convenient diagnostic parameters are needed to guide the correct treatment strategy. This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic potential of copeptin, the C-terminal part of provasopressin, as a new marker in the differential diagnosis of hyponatremia.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, 106 consecutive hyponatremic patients were classified based on their history, clinical evaluation, and laboratory tests. In patients and 32 healthy control subjects, plasma copeptin concentration and standard biochemical parameters were tested for their utility of diagnosing the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD).

Results: Four patients (4%) were diagnosed as primary polydipsia, nine (8%) as diuretic-induced hyponatremia, 42 (40%) as SIAD, 29 (27%) as hypovolemic hyponatremia, and 22 patients (21%) as hypervolemic hyponatremia. In controls, a close correlation between plasma copeptin and serum sodium (r² = 0.62, P < 0.001) or urine osmolality (r² = 0.39, P = 0.001) was observed. Plasma copeptin levels were significantly higher in patients with hypo- and hypervolemic hyponatremia compared with SIAD (P < 0.005, respectively) and primary polydipsia (P < 0.001). The copeptin to U-Na ratio differentiated accurately between volume-depleted and normovolemic disorders (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.81–0.95; P < 0.001), resulting in a sensitivity and specificity of 85 and 87% if a cutoff value of 30 pmol/mmol was used. The combined information of plasma copeptin less than 3 pmol/liter and urine osmolality less than 200 mOsm/kg ensured primary polydipsia in 100% of suspected patients.

Conclusion: Copeptin measurement reliably identifies patients with primary polydipsia but has limited utility in the differential diagnosis of other hyponatremic disorders. In contrast, the copeptin to U-Na ratio is superior to the reference standard in discriminating volume-depleted from normovolemic hyponatremic disorders.

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