title: The diagnostic value of plasma N-terminal connective tissue growth factor levels in children with heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of plasma N-terminal connective tissue growth factor in children with heart failure. Methods and results Plasma N-terminal connective tissue growth factor was determined in 61 children, including 41 children with heart failure, 20 children without heart failure, and 30 healthy volunteers. The correlations between plasma N-terminal connective tissue growth factor levels and clinical parameters were investigated. Moreover, the diagnostic value of N-terminal connective tissue growth factor levels was evaluated. Compared with healthy volunteers and children without heart failure, plasma N-terminal connective tissue growth factor levels were significantly elevated in those with heart failure (p0.05), but it obviously improved the ability of diagnosing heart failure in children, as demonstrated by the integrated discrimination improvement (6.2%, p=0.013) and net re-classification improvement (13.2%, p=0.017) indices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma N-terminal connective tissue growth factor is a promising diagnostic biomarker for heart failure in children.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Pediatrics,The Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 2Medical Research Center,The Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Xueqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: 3Research Center for Drug and Functional Foods of Sichuan Medical University,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Jiyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Emergency,The Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Pediatrics,The Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Pediatrics,Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Pengyuan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Pediatrics,The Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Pediatrics,The Affiliated Hospital of Sichuan Medical University,Sichuan,China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor
keywords: Connective tissue growth factor; N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide; biomarker; children; heart failure