Clinical value of plasma brain natriuretic peptide in patients with chronic heart failure

Objective To investigate the clinical value of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in evaluating the cardiac function for patients with chronic heart failure. Methods The concentrations of plasma BNP were measured by immunofluorescence method in 63 patients with chronic heart failure. Doppler echocardiography was performed to determine left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVESD), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The correlations of plasma BNP level with New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, LVPWT, LVEDD, LVESD, LVEF were compared and analyzed. Results The concentrations of plasma BNP in patients with chronic heart failure were significantly increased as the rise of cardiac function classification according to NYHA. The plasma BNP level was negatively correlated with LVEF (r=0.66,P 0.05), and positively correlated with LVEDD and LVESD (r=0.76,0.71,P0.05). Conclusions Plasma BNP can be used to evaluate the cardiac function of patients with chronic heart failure, and is useful tool for diagnosis of chronic heart failure.