Clinical study on changes of chromogranin A, brain natriuretic peptide and noradrenaline in patients with chronic heart failure

AIM:To investigate the changes of plasma chromogranin A (CgA), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and noradrenaline (NE) levels in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) of different severities and their clinical signification. METHODS: Plasma BNP was measured by radioimmunoassay and CgA and NE by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively, in 50 CHF patients and 30 control subjects. LVEF and LVEDD were measured by echocardiography. RESULTS: Plasma CgA, BNP and NE were significantly higher in CHF patients than in control subjects ［CgA (124.2±79.4)vs. (3.7±9.5) g/L; BNP (62.1±110.7) vs. (78.2±28.7) ng/L; NE (503.5±355.7) vs. (102.5±68.4) ng/L; P<0.05］. The increased CgA, BNP and NE were parallel with the severity of CHF. CgA, BNP and NE were negatively correlated with LVEF correspondingly and the level of CgA was positively related to BNP and LVEDD, respectively. A week of treatment significantly reduced the concentrations of BNP and NE, whereas the value of CgA was relatively unvaried. CONCLUSION: CgA, BNP and NE levels may be involved in the occurrence and development of CHF.