Effectiveness of palivizumab immunoprophylaxis in infants with respiratory syncytial virus disease in Colombia

Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important childhood infections. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of palivizumab immunoprophylaxis in preterm infants at a high risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus infection during the RSV season in Colombia. Methodology: A prospective observational non-comparative multicenter study in six Colombian cities. At the beginning of the RSV infection season, palivizumab prophylaxis, up to five doses, was administered to infants born at ≤32 weeks of gestation, infants younger than six months, infants under one year of age with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), infants one year or less of age with hemodynamically significant acyanotic and non-acyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD), and with follow-up during the immunoprophylaxis until one month after the last dose. Results: The study enrolled 600 patients, 91.8% of which were born at ≤ 32 weeks of gestation. BPD was observed in 54.9% of infants. 49% were born at < 32 weeks gestation and presented BPD. 6.9% had hemodynamically significant acyanotic and non-acyanotic CHD 53.3% received three or more doses of palivizumab. The mean interval between doses was 39.6 days. 1.8% of patients were hospitalized due to a confirmed RSV infection. Overall mortality was 1.2%, whereas the mortality by RSV in infants undergoing prophylaxis was 0.2%. Conclusions: Palivizumab was a clinically effective, well-tolerated treatment in the Colombian population. The safety profile of palivizumab reflects the findings from previous studies in developed countries.

Differences in the serum metabolic profile to identify potential biomarkers for cyanotic versus acyanotic heart disease

Background: Growth retardation, malnutrition, and failure to thrive are some of the consequences associated with congenital heart diseases. Several metabolic factors such as hypoxia, anoxia, and several genetic factors are believed to alter the energetics of the heart. Timely diagnosis and patient management is one of the major challenges faced by the clinicians in understanding the disease and provide better treatment options. Metabolic profiling has shown to be potential diagnostic tool to understand the disease. Objective: The present experiment was designed as a single center observational pilot study to classify and create diagnostic metabolic signatures associated with the energetics of congenital heart disease in cyanotic and acyanotic groups. Methods: Metabolic sera profiles were obtained from 35 patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (TOF) and 23 patients with acyanotic congenital heart disease (ASD and VSD) using high resolution 1D 1H NMR spectra. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis were performed to classify particular metabolic disorders associated with cyanotic and acyanotic heart disease. Results: The results show dysregulations in several metabolites in cyanotic CHD patients versus acyanotic CHD patients. The discriminatory metabolites were further analyzed with area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve and identified four metabolic entities (i.e. mannose, hydroxyacetone, myoinositol, and creatinine) which could differentiate cyanotic CHDs from acyanotic CHDs with higher specificity. Conclusion: An untargeted metabolic approach proved to be helpful for the detection and distinction of disease-causing metabolites in cyanotic patients from acyanotic ones and can be useful for designing better and personalized treatment protocol.

The level of superoxide dismutase and catalase in acyanotic congenital heart disease children with heart failur

Background: The most common complication in acyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) is heart failure which definitive diagnosis and therapy remain unsatisfactory. Heart failure’s progression is often associated with oxidative stress process. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is the first line antioxidant of defense against superoxide anion. While Catalase (CAT) breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen molecules which complements previous detoxification carried out by SOD. Objective: This study aimed to compare the differences of SOD and CAT levels in acyanotic CHD patients between those with and without heart failure. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on three to ten years old children with a left-to-right shunt acyanotic CHD with and without heart failure in the Pediatric Cardiology outpatient clinic, ward, and emergency room of Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya from April-July 2020. Echocardiography was used to establish the diagnosis of CHD, while Pediatric Heart Failure Score (PHFS) criteria was used to indicate heart failure. T-test was undertaken for analysing the difference between both groups. Results: The total samples were 41 children, consisted of 29 subjects in the case group (CHD with heart failure) and 12 subjects in the control group (without heart failure). The level of SOD in CHD with heart failure was lower (74.670+15.705) than those without it (109.163+3.111) (p<0.05). In contrast, level of CAT in CHD with heart failure was higher (25.895) than those without it (13.976) (p<0.05). Conclusion: There was a significant difference of SOD and CAT levels in acyanotic CHD between those with and without heart failure.

Predictor factors of pulmonary hypertension in children with left-to-right shunting in acyanotic congenital heart disease

Background Left-to-right shunting in acyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of defect in childhood heart disease. Limited access to specialist health services causes delays in CHD management. In limited resource settings, identification of factors that influence the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension is important in order to decide which patients should be prioritized for defect closure to prevent further complications. Objective To determine predictive factors of pulmonary hypertension after a left-to-right shunt CHD diagnosis. Methods This retrospective cohort study included children aged 1 month to 17 years with isolated atrial septal defect, or ventricular septal defect, or patent ductus arteriosus. Potential predictors studied were iron deficiency anemia, mitral regurgitation, pneumonia, and heart failure. Bivariate analysis was done with Chi-square test and multivariate analysis was done with Cox regression to determine the hazard ratio. Results Pulmonary hypertension occurred in 68 of 176 subjects. Iron deficiency anemia, mitral regurgitation, and pneumonia were not predictives of pulmonary hypertension. However, heart failure was a significant predictive factor for pulmonary hypertension, with a hazard ratio of 4.1 (95%CI 2.2 to 7.5; P=0.001). Conclusions Heart failure is a predictive factor of pulmonary hypertension in children with left-to-right shunting in acyanotic CHD.

Aortic Saturation Predicted Operability in Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease with Left-to-Right Shunt

Background: Cardiac catheterization is the gold standard to determine operability in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) with left to right shunt and pulmonary hypertension. Objective: To determine if systemic oxygen saturation could be used as a screening tool for acyanotic CHD patients who are operable without having to undergo an invasive procedure. Materials and Methods: All cardiac catheterization data at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital between 2002 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The inclusion criteria were acyanotic lesion with left-to-right shunt, mean pulmonary artery pressure of 25 mmHg or more, pulmonary overcirculation (Qp:Qs greater than 1), and absence of significant left sided heart disease (LAP or PCWP of less than 15 mmHg). Operability was defined as Rpi of 6 WU.m² or less and Rp:Rs of less than 0.3 in room air. The value of aortic saturation as diagnostic test for operability was analyzed by ROC curve analysis. Results: Two hundred twenty-six patients, with a median age of two years old, (IQR 0.11, 6.00) were divided into pre-tricuspid shunt (ASD, PAPVR, 9.7%), complete atrioventricular (AV) canal defect (13%), and other post-tricuspid lesion (VSD, PDA, 77%). Aortic saturation cut-off values to predict operability with 100% specificity were 98.5% in pre-tricuspid shunt, 100% in post-tricuspid shunt group, and 94.5% in complete AV canal group. Conclusion: In the present study population, aortic saturation may be used to determine operability in acyanotic CHD patients with pulmonary overcirculation. Diagnostic yield is best in patients with complete AV canal defect in whom oxygen saturation of 95% or above identified operability with close to 100% specificity. In other lesions, there appears to be no oxygen saturation that is safe to preclude cardiac catheterization. Keywords: Congenital heart disease, Acyanotic heart disease, Non-cyanotic heart lesions, Pulmonary hypertension, Operability, Aortic saturation