[Changes of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein in children with chronic heart failure and its significance]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Biomarker Discovery
• Heart Failure Research

Background:

• Chronic heart failure (CHF) in children presents diagnostic challenges.
• Identifying reliable biomarkers for pediatric CHF is crucial for timely intervention.
• Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) is a potential indicator of cardiac stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum h-FABP levels in children diagnosed with CHF.
• To explore the relationship between h-FABP levels and cardiac function parameters in pediatric CHF.
• To assess the clinical significance of h-FABP as a biomarker for childhood heart failure.

Main Methods:

• Serum h-FABP levels were measured using ELISA in 36 children with CHF (16 endocardial fibroelastosis, 20 dilated cardiomyopathy) and 30 healthy controls.
• Echocardiography was performed to assess left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac index (CI), and fractional shortening of the left ventricle (LVSF) in the CHF group.
• Statistical analysis was employed to compare h-FABP levels and correlate them with cardiac function metrics.

Main Results:

• Children with CHF exhibited significantly higher serum h-FABP levels compared to healthy controls (21.7±4.3 ng/mL vs 6.2±1.7 ng/mL, P<0.01).
• Elevated h-FABP levels were observed in both endocardial fibroelastosis and dilated cardiomyopathy subgroups.
• Serum h-FABP concentrations showed a significant negative correlation with LVEF (r=-0.65), CI (r=-0.64), and LVSF (r=-0.71), indicating poorer heart function with higher h-FABP levels (P<0.01).

Conclusions:

• Serum h-FABP levels are significantly elevated in children suffering from chronic heart failure.
• h-FABP levels demonstrate a strong correlation with the severity of pediatric heart failure.
• Serum h-FABP serves as a valuable biomarker for diagnosing heart failure in children and assessing its severity.