Abstract: AIM: To investigate the changes and clinical significance of serum brain natriureticPeptide(BNP)levels inPatients with chronic heart failure.METHODS: ELISA method was used to measure the serumlevels of BNP-32 in 72Patients with chronic heart failure(HF group)and 30 healthy subjects served as control group.46Patients with New York Heart Association(NYHA)classⅢ and classⅣ were measured repeatly after 2-weeks treatment.The differences between BNPlevels and different NYHA classes or underlying diseases were analysed.The changes of BNPlevels before and after treatment in the samePatients were also compared.RESULTS:(1)The serumlevels of BNPin HF grouPand control grouPwere 858.7±326.9 and 109.3±37.6 ng·L^-1,and the 95% confidence interval of both grouPwere 781.9 -935.5 and 95.3 -123.3 ng·L^-1,respectively(P<0.01).(2)The sensitivity and specificity of BNPcut-off value of 120 ng·L^-1for diagnosing chronic heart failure were 100% and 87%.(3)BNPlevels in NYHA classⅡ,Ⅲ andⅣ were 638.5±224.5,878.0±334.0 and 1045.8±585.1 ng·L^-1,respectively(P<0.01).Thelevels of BNPincreased markedly with NYHA class hightening(r=0.818,P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Thelevels of BNPare significantly increased,and correlated with the NYHA class,as well as withPrognosis inPatients with HF.After treatment,falling BNPlevels inPatients show good outcomes,whereas elevating BNPlevels inPatients show bad outcomes.Thelevel of BNPhas important value in diagnosis,therapentic efficacy andPrognosis ofPatients with chronic heart failure.

Key words: pharmacodynamics, brain natriureticPeptide, heart failure, diagnosis, prognosis