OBJECTIVETo evaluation the performance of a heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) ELISA detection kit in the clinical diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODSPlasma or serum samples from 160 suspected ACS patients hospitalized in General Hospital of PLA were examined using Lanzhou H-FABP reagent kit and Holland H-FABP kit. Correlation of the two kits was evaluated and Kappa test was used to examine the consistency of the results of the two products.

RESULTSThe sensitivity of H-FABP diagnosis of ACS detection Lanzhou kit was 91.8%, the specificity was 88.7%, and the total diagnostic rate was 90.42%. The sensitivity of H-FABP diagnosis of ACS detection Holland kit was 90.3%, the specificity was 86.8%, and the total diagnostic rate was 88.75%. The test results showed that two products yielded comparable results (P=0.668, >0.05) with a good consistency (Kappa=0.726, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSH-FABP ELISA detection kit produccted by LanZhou biological research institute has a good correlation with H-FABP detection kit produced by HBT company of Holland and has the potential for clinical application.

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; diagnosis ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Humans ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo observe the relationship between serum and monocyte-derived-macrophages secreted adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP), adiponectin (or A-FABP/adiponectin ratio) and coronary artery disease.

METHODSThree hundred and forty subjects underwent coronary angiography (CAG) were classified into CAD group (n = 211) and non-CAD group (n = 129) according to the CAG results. The severity of coronary artery stenosis was assessed by the numbers of involved coronary artery branches and the sum of the Gensini scores. Fasting venous blood was collected from all subjects and peripheral monocytes were isolated from 20 subjects (10 selected from each group with age-, gender-, and BMI-matched). Peripheral blood monocytes were obtained and stimulated into macrophages with PMA, cell culture supernatant was collected. The concentration of serum/supernatant A-FABP and adiponectin levels were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

RESULTS(1) A-FABP levels tended to be higher in CAD patients compared to non-CAD subjects [18.3(13.2, 22.8) µg/L vs. 16.4(13.5, 20.4) µg/L, P = 0.088]. The concentration of adiponectin in CAD group was significantly lower than those in non-CAD group [13.9 (9.8, 17.1) mg/L vs. 19.7 (14.5, 27.6) mg/L, P < 0.05]. (2) The A-FABP levels increased and the adiponectin levels decreased as the number of stenotic vessels increased. Gensini scores were positively correlated with serum A-FABP (r = 0.120, P = 0.043) and inversely correlated with adiponectin (r = -0.405, P = 0.007). (3) The difference in A-FABP/adiponectin ratio was more prominent between subjects with CAD and subjects without CAD [(1.51 ± 0.79) µg/mg vs. (0.89 ± 0.30) µg/mg, P < 0.01] and there was a stronger positive correlation of Gensini score to A-FABP/adiponectin ratio(r = 0.531, P = 0.000). (4) Monocyte-derived-macrophages from patients with CAD had higher A-FABP/adiponectin ratio than that in patients without CAD [(0.51 ± 0.19) µg/mg vs. (0.36 ± 0.11) µg/mg, P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONSIncreased levels of serum A-FABP and reduced levels of adiponectin in CAD patients serves as a novel biomarker for the severity of the coronary stenosis. A-FABP/adiponectin ratio is superior to A-FABP or adiponectin alone on predicting CAD risks.

Adipocytes ; metabolism ; Adiponectin ; blood ; Aged ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical value of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) in full-term newborn infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

METHODSForty-one full-term infants with a confirmed diagnosis of NEC from February 2012 to January 2014 were recruited as case group (stage I: 24 cases; stage II-III: 17 cases). Sixty-two children diagnosed with non-digestive diseases in the same period were recruited as the control group. Serum levels of I-FABP and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The diagnostic value of I-FABP for NEC was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTSStage I and stage II-III cases in the case group had significantly higher serum I-FABP levels than the control group (P<0.05), and stage II-III cases had significantly higher serum I-FABP levels than stage I cases (P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for serum I-FABP was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78-0.92), with the optimal cut-off point of 2.25 ng/mL. Under this cut-off point, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.49% and 70.19%, respectively. There was no significant difference in serum CRP level between the case and control groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn newborn infants with NEC, serum I-FABP level increases significantly in stage I , and it is correlated with the disease severity. Therefore, serum I-FABP can be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of NEC.

C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; blood ; diagnosis ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Humans ; Infant ; ROC Curve

OBJECTIVEThis study examined serum level of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) in order to assess its value in KD.

METHODSForty children with KD and 30 healthy children were enrolled. Serum levels of h-FABP and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured using ELISA. Serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) level was detected using an autoanalyer. The KD group was classified into two subgroups, with or without coronary artery lesions, based on the findings of the echocardiography.

RESULTSMean serum levels of h-FABP (18.17+/-13.38 ng/mL vs 6.25+/-1.70 ng/mL; P<0.01) and cTnI (0.27+/-0.22 ng/mL vs 0.11+/-0.02 ng/mL; P<0.05) in the KD group was significantly higher than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in serum CK-MB concentrations between the two groups. Twenty-six patients (65%) and eight patients (20%) showed abnormally increased h-FABP and cTnI levels respectively in the KD group, but none of the control group showed increased levels of both. In the KD group, the percentage of patients with increased h-FABP was significantly higher than those with increased CTnI (P<0.01). The patients with coronary artery lesions had higher serum h-FABP level than those without (28.14+/-14.26 ng/mL vs 11.52+/-6.28 ng/mL; P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSSerum levels of h-FABP and cTnI increase and can be used as the biomarkers of myocardial damage in children with KD. h-FABP appears to be more sensitive and specific. Detection of serum h-FABP level is useful for diagnosis of KD and coronary artery lesions secondary to KD.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form ; blood ; Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; blood ; Troponin I ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the value of the biochemical markers heart fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB), myocardial troponin T (cTnT) in early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODSSerum levels of H-FABP, CK-MB, and cTNT were detected in 95 patients with confirmed AMI at different time points following the onset in comparison with the data from 43 patients without AMI. The sensitivity and specificity of H-FABP in different phases following the onset were compared between those of CK-MB and cTnT.

RESULTSSerum H-FABP activities increased significantly within 3 h after the onset of AMI (P<0.01) and continued to increase at 3-6 h and 6-12 h (P<0.001). Serum level of CK-MB within 6 h and cTnT level within 3 h after AMI onset did not show obvious changes (P<0.05). Both the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of H-FABP within 3 h and within 3-6 h were higher than those CK-MB and cTnT (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONH-FABP is superior to CK-MB and cTnT in early diagnosis (within 3 h and 3-6 h following the onset) of AMI.

Acute Disease ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form ; blood ; Early Diagnosis ; Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Troponin T ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study serum levels of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) in children with chronic heart failure (CHF), and the correlation between heart function and the level of h-FABP, with the aim of studying the significance of h-FABP in CHF.

METHODSThirty-six children with CHF, including 16 cases of endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) and 20 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) were enrolled in the study. Thirty healthy children sevred as the control group. Serum levels of h-FABP were determined using ELISA, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac index (CI) and fractional shortening of the left ventricle (LVSF) were measured by two-dimensional echocardiography in the CHF group.

RESULTSMean levels of h-FABP in the CHF group were significantly higher than in the control group (21.7±4.3 ng/mL vs 6.2±1.7 ng/mL; P<0.01). The worse the heart function, the higher the h-FABP levels (P<0.01). Mean levels of h-FABP in both the EFE and DCM groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). Serum h-FABP concentrations were negatively correlated with LVEF, CI and LVSF (r=-0.65, -0.64 and -0.71 respectively; P<0.01) in the CHF group.

CONCLUSIONSSerum h-FABP levels increase in children with CHF and are closely related to the severity of the condition. Serum h-FABP levels can be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of heart failure and the evaluation of its severity.

Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chronic Disease ; Endocardial Fibroelastosis ; blood ; Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Severity of Illness Index

OBJECTIVETo study the value of combined measurement of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and fecal calprotectin (FC) in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in full-term neonates.

METHODSA total of 36 full-term neonates with NEC (case group) and 39 neonates without digestive system diseases (control group) were enrolled as study subjects. ELISA was used to measure the serum I-FABP level and fecal FC level, and the clinical value of I-FABP combined with FC in the diagnosis of NEC was evaluated.

RESULTSThe case group had significantly higher I-FABP and FC levels than the control group (P<0.05). In the case group, serum I-FABP level was positively correlated with fecal FC level (r=0.71, P<0.05). In the diagnosis of NEC, I-FABP alone, FC alone, and I-FABP/FC combination had sensitivities of 83.3%, 81.5%, and 79.5%, specificities of 72.5%, 75.8%, and 86.3%, and areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of 0.82, 0.81, and 0.88. The combined measurement showed significantly higher specificity and AUC than single measurement (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSChildren with NEC have significant increases in I-FABP and FC levels, and there is a correlation between them. Combined measurement of I-FABP and FC can increase the specificity of the diagnosis of NEC.

Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; diagnosis ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Feces ; chemistry ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex ; analysis ; Male

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between serum high-sensitivity C-reaction protein (hs-CRP) and heart fatty acid binding protein (h-FABP) on cardiac accidents in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP).

METHODSerum levels of hs-CRP, h-FABP, cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) were measured and cardiac accidents within 2 weeks after the test were observed in 74 patients (male 45) with stable AP (SAP) and 56 patients (male 29) with UAP.

RESULTSThe incidence of cardiac accidents was significantly higher in UAP group (26.8%) than that in SAP group (10.53%, P < 0.001). Serum hs-CRP [(7.64 +/- 2.18) mg/L vs. (1.78 +/- 0.62) mg/L, P < 0.001], h-FABP [(16.46 +/- 5.28) microg/L vs. (3.15 +/- 2.61) microg/L, P < 0.001] and cTn-I [(1.28 +/- 0.43) microg/L vs. (0.67 +/- 0.09) microg/L, P < 0.001] levels were also significantly higher in UAP group than those in SAP group. The serum hs-CRP and h-FABP levels for patients with cardiac accidents in the SAP group were (6.32 +/- 2.06) microg/L and (8.76 +/- 3.83) microg/L respectively, which were higher than those for the patients having no cardiac accidents in the control (P < 0.01). The serum hs-CRP, h-FABP, cTn-I and CK-MB levels in patients with cardiac accidents were significantly higher than those in patients without cardiac accidents in both SAP and UAP groups.

CONCLUSIONMeasuring traditional parameters for myocardial damage (cTn-I and CK-MB) in combination with hs-CRP and h-FABP is valuable for predicting the risk of recent cardiac accidents for AP patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angina, Unstable ; blood ; diagnostic imaging ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Coronary Angiography ; Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the change in serum intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP) in children with pneumonia and its correlation with gastrointestinal injury.

METHODSA total of 82 children with community-acquired pneumonia who were treated from January to October, 2015 were enrolled, among whom 34 had mild pneumonia and 48 had severe pneumonia. According to pediatric critical illness score (PCIS), the children with severe pneumonia were further divided into non-critical group (25 patients) and critical group (23 patients). Thirty healthy children who underwent physical examination at outpatient service were enrolled as the control group. ELISA was used to measure serum IFABP level, and the acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) grade was determined for children with severe pneumonia. Serum IFABP level was compared between groups, and the correlations of IFABP with AGI grade and PCIS were analyzed.

RESULTSThe severe pneumonia group showed a significantly higher serum IFABP level than the control group and the mild pneumonia group (P<0.01), and the mild pneumonia group also showed a significantly higher serum IFABP level than the control group (P<0.01). The critical group showed a significantly higher serum IFABP level than the non-critical group (P<0.01). The patients with grade I-IV AGI had significantly higher serum IFABP levels than the control group (P<0.01), and the serum IFABP level increased significantly with the increasing AGI grade (P<0.01). Serum IFABP level was positively correlated with AGI grade (P<0.01) but negatively correlated with PCIS (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSChildren with pneumonia experience an increased serum IFABP level which can be used as a sensitive indicator for the early diagnosis of gastrointestinal injury and the evaluation of conditions in children with pneumonia.

Acute Disease ; Child, Preschool ; Community-Acquired Infections ; blood ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Pneumonia ; blood

OBJECTIVETo assess the values of serum fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in pneumonia complicated by acute congestive heart failure (CHF) in children.

METHODSSerum levels of FABP and BNP were determined using ELISA in 36 children with pneumonia complicated by CHF (pneumonia group) and 28 healthy children (control group).

RESULTSSerum levels of FABP and BNP in the pneumonia group at the acute stage were significantly higher than those in the control group and those at the recovery stage (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, serum levels of FABP and BNP in the pneumonia group at the recovery stage increased significantly (P<0.01). At the acute stage, 35 patients (97.2%) showed increased serum FABP level but 28 (77.8%) showed increased serum BNP level (P<0.05) in the pneumonia group. At the recovery stage, the incidence of abnormal serum FABP (72.2%) was significantly higher than that of BNP (44.4%) in the pneumonia group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSerum levels of FABP and BNP can be regarded as biochemical markers of myocardial damage in children with pneumonia complicated by CHF and serum FABP appears to be a more sensitive one. Serum FABP and BNP remained at higher levels through the recovery stage, suggesting that myocardial damage existed though the clinical symptoms were improved at the stage.

Acute Disease ; Child, Preschool ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Pneumonia ; complications