title: [Changes of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein in children with chronic heart failure and its significance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study serum levels of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) in children with chronic heart failure (CHF), and the correlation between heart function and the level of h-FABP, with the aim of studying the significance of h-FABP in CHF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six children with CHF, including 16 cases of endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) and 20 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) were enrolled in the study. Thirty healthy children sevred as the control group. Serum levels of h-FABP were determined using ELISA, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac index (CI) and fractional shortening of the left ventricle (LVSF) were measured by two-dimensional echocardiography in the CHF group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean levels of h-FABP in the CHF group were significantly higher than in the control group (21.7±4.3 ng/mL vs 6.2±1.7 ng/mL; P<0.01). The worse the heart function, the higher the h-FABP levels (P<0.01). Mean levels of h-FABP in both the EFE and DCM groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). Serum h-FABP concentrations were negatively correlated with LVEF, CI and LVSF (r=-0.65, -0.64 and -0.71 respectively; P<0.01) in the CHF group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum h-FABP levels increase in children with CHF and are closely related to the severity of the condition. Serum h-FABP levels can be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of heart failure and the evaluation of its severity.
authors: Department of Respairation and Neurology, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China. sunyuping999@163.com
authors: Yu-Ping
authors: YP
authors: Sun
authors: Wen-Di
authors: WD
authors: Wang
authors: Shao-Chun
authors: SC
authors: Ma
authors: Li-Yan
authors: LY
authors: Wang
authors: Ling-Yan
authors: LY
authors: Qiao
authors: Li-Ping
authors: LP
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004695:Endocardial Fibroelastosis / Q000097:blood; D000074026:Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: C493408:FABP3 protein, human; D000074026:Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins