Predictive value of baseline serum sST2 and BNP levels for treatment efficacy in patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between baseline serum soluble stimulator gene 2 (sST2) level, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and treatment outcomes in Heart failure (HF) patients, and to assess their predictive value. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted on 162 HF patients treated at Longgang People's Hospital from August 2021 to July 2023. Patients were categorized into effective (n=138) and ineffective (n=24) groups based on New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification post-treatment. Serum sST2 and BNP levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and cardiac function parameters, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were assessed via echocardiography. RESULTS: The overall treatment effectiveness rate was 85.19%. The serum soluble ST2 and BNP levels in the ineffective group were significantly higher compared to the effective group (P<0.05). Additionally, LVEF was significantly lower, while the left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD) was significantly greater in the ineffective group than in the effective group. Both serum sST2 and BNP were identified as independent risk factors for ineffective treatment. A combined predictive model incorporating soluble ST2 and BNP achieved an AUC of 0.929, demonstrating excellent predictive performance. CONCLUSION: Baseline serum sST2 and BNP levels are independent predictors of treatment response in HF patients. Their combined application enhances predictive performance and may assist clinicians in tailoring treatment strategies to improve patient survival quality and prognosis.