Changes of N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Normal Children and Children with Congestive Heart Failure / 实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To determine the normal ranges of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in normal children and children with symptoms of heart failure(HF),and to study their clinical implications.Methods Concentrations of serum NT-proBNP were determined in 80 normal children and 70 children with clinical symptoms of HF.Venous blood was taken in each subject,and plasma NT-proBNP was determined by ELISA method.Eighty normal children included 40 boys and 40 girls.Their ages ranged from 1 to 16 years old.Seventy children with HF were divided into two groups.The first group(n=45,21 males,24 females) included children with symptoms of HF caused by dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).Their ages ranged from 1 to 16 years,and they had a left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) of less than 50%.The second group(n=25,11 male,14 female) consisted of children with symptoms of HF due to ventricular septal defect(VSD).Their ages ranged from 1 to 16 years,and they had an LVEF of 51%-78%.The serum NT-pro BNP levels were determined by ELISA method and LVEF was measured by echocardiography and clinical symptom score of heart failure was defined by using Ross Score.Results Serum concentration of NT-proBNP was 223.05 fmol/mL in normal children from 1 to 16 years old.NT-proBNP levels did not show a significant age-related or sex-related differences.In children with HF,the plasma NT-proBNP levels were significantly elevated(mean1353.3 fmol/mL) compared to normal children(t=8.964 P