title: Serum concentration of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) is widely applied as a marker of cardiac myocyte injury. Recently, it has been reported that levels of H-FABP are elevated in adult patients with chronic heart failure and thus provide useful prognostic information. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between serum H-FABP levels and pathophysiological characteristics in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum H-FABP levels were preoperatively and postoperatively measured in 238 consecutive patients with CHD aged 1-31 years. The relationships between H-FABP levels and severity of heart failure, circulatory status and laboratory data were cross-sectionally analyzed. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that serum H-FABP levels are independently affected by age, New York Heart Association functional class, creatine kinase MB, creatinine and arterial oxygen saturation (standard regression coefficients, -0.378, 0.237, 0.422, 0.615, and -0.210, respectively). Neither left ventricular ejection fraction nor B-type natriuretic peptide correlated with H-FABP levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H-FABP could serve as a new monitoring tool to provide information that will guide the optimal therapy and management of CHD patients.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan. hayabuchi@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
authors: Yasunobu
authors: Y
authors: Hayabuchi
authors: Miki
authors: M
authors: Inoue
authors: Noriko
authors: N
authors: Watanabe
authors: Miho
authors: M
authors: Sakata
authors: Tatsuya
authors: T
authors: Ohnishi
authors: Shoji
authors: S
authors: Kagami