Relationship between echocardiographic findings and laboratory serum biomarkers in patients with and without low cardiac output

BACKGROUND Cardiac dysfunction is seen in many patients and could be evaluated with echocardiography and serum biomarkers. The aim of this study was evaluation of the relationship between echocardiographic findings and laboratory serum biomarkers in children with and without low cardiac output. METHODS Thirty patients older than 1 month with and without low cardiac output were enrolled in this study. It composed of 13 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 7 with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and 10 who had a Fontan operation. Echocardiography was performed with emphasis on shortening fraction (SF) and ejection fraction (EF). Blood samples were collected for measurement of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and alkaline phosphatase (Alk-P). Both echocardiographic findings and laboratory data were compared with control levels in twenty-seven normal children. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the aforementioned associations. RESULTS The mean of ANP and hs-CRP in the case group was statistically higher than control group (p < 0.001). The mean of ANP and hs-CRP were different in all groups (p < 0.001). There was a reverse linear regression between the SF and ANP in the case group (r = -0.594, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Determination of the plasma ANP and hs-CRP level may be helpful for decisions related to early diagnosis of patient with low cardiac output.