The clinical significance of serum brain natriuretic peptide in children with Kawasaki disease / 中华急诊医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the correlation with the heart function in children with Kawasaki disease(KD), and to explore its clinical value for diagnosis of KD. Method A total of 43 children aged from 5 months to 8 years with mean age of (2.3 + 0.6) years with KD admitted from February 2007 to April 2009 were enrolled into this study as KD group, and patients with myocarditis, myocardiopathy, congenital heart disease and other primary heart disease were ruled out. Another 30 healthy children were taken as control health group. There were no significant differences in age and gender between two groups (P >0.05) .The serum levels of BNP were measured both in acute and recovery stages of KD by using ELISA. The serum levels of BNP in healthy children were measured randomly once. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular shorten fraction ( LVSF), cardiac index (CI) and left ventricular inflow velocity through the mitral annulus (including E-velocity and A-velocity) were measured by using two-dimensional echocardiography in acute and recovery stages of KD. Data were analyzed with t -test and the linear regression analysis test. Results The serum level of BNP in acute stage was (517.26 + 213.40) ng/mL and was significantly higher than that in recovery stage (91.56 + 47.97) ng/mL, and higher than that in control group (91.56 + 47.97) ng/mL (P < 0.01). The levels of LVEF, LVSF and CI in the acute stage were significantly lower than those in the recoverystage ( P < 0.0%), but there was no significant difference in E/A between acute stage and recovery stage (P > 0.05). The BNP level had negative correlation with the levels of LVEF, LVSF and CI(r = -0.63, -0.52, and - 0.53, respectively, P < 0.05), but had no significant correlation with E/A (r = - 0.18, P > 0.05). Conclusions The serum levels of BNP increase significantly in the KD patients, and have negative correlation with the levels of LVEF, LVSF and CI. The detection of serum levels of BNP has an important significance for diagnosis of KD.