ABSTRACT
Objective To study the significance of plasma brain natriuretic peptide(BNP)in differentiating patients with chronic cor pulmonale from those with hypertensive heart failure.Methods Thirty cases of cor pulmonale and 30 of hypertensive heart disease were recruited for the study.Heart rate and arterial partial oxygen pressure(PaO2)were measured for them,as well as plasma level of BNP Was measured by rapid immunofluorescence quantitative analysis.with 30 normal healthy persons as controls.ResultsAs compared with the control group.plasma level of BNP increased significantly in patients with chronic cor pulmonale and hypertensive heart failure(P＜0.05),and that in those with hypertensive heart failure[(597±68)ng/L]Was significantly higher than that in those with cot pulmonale[(179±34)ng/L,P＜0.05].Conclusion Plasma level of BNP can be used as an indicator to differentiate cor pulmonale from hypertensive heart failure both with dyspnea.