Comparison of Blood Lead Concentrations in Mothers of Children with Congenital Heart Disease and Mothers of Healthy Children

Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Congenital Heart Diseases: The Pooled Results Based on the Current Evidence

The relationships between maternal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and congenital heart diseases (CHD) are not elucidated yet. The exposure levels of EDCs are generally estimated based on self-reported questionnaires or occupational exposure evaluations in the literature. Therefore, a study based on epidemiological data from human biospecimens is required to provide stronger evidence between maternal exposure to EDC and CHD. Embase, Pubmed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for related research which provided risk estimates regarding the relationships between maternal EDC exposure and CHD in human offspring. Baseline characteristics and outcomes of CHD were extracted from each included study. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to calculate the overall estimates of CHD. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to identify the sources of heterogeneity. Bootstrapping techniques were used in analyses where several studies originated from a similar population. A total of seventeen studies were involved in the meta-analyses. Maternal EDC exposure was significantly related to CHD in offspring (OR 2.15; 95%CI 1.64 to 2.83). EDC exposure was significantly associated with septal defects (OR 2.34; 95%CI 1.77 to 3.10), conotruncal defects (OR 2.54; 95%CI 1.89 to 3.43), right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (OR 2.65; 95%CI 1.73 to 4.07), left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (OR 3.58; 95%CI 2.67 to 4.79), anomalous pulmonary venous return (OR 2.31; 95%CI 1.34 to 4.00), and other heart defects (OR 2.49; 95%CI 1.75 to 3.54). In addition, maternal exposure to heavy metals, which included lead (OR 2.19; 95%CI 1.29 to 3.71), cadmium (OR 1.81; 95%CI 1.28 to 2.56), mercury (OR 2.23; 95%CI 1.13 to 4.44), and manganese (OR 2.65; 95%CI 1.48 to 4.74), increased risks for CHD significantly. In conclusion, based on the latest evidence, maternal EDC exposure may increase CHD risks in human offspring, especially in heavy metal exposure conditions.

Early-life exposure to lead changes cardiac development and compromises long-term cardiac function

Lead (Pb) is widely used in industrial and daily-use consumer products. Early-life exposure may increase the risk of lead-related heart problems in childhood. However, the effects of early-life lead exposure on fetal heart development and long-term cardiac outcomes are unknown. In this study, pregnant ICR mice were exposed to lead acetate trihydrate (50 mg/kg/d) via oral gavage from gestation day 1.5 until offspring weaning. Thereafter, the second hit model was established, two groups of offspring (4 weeks old) were either administered sterile saline or Angiotensin II (Ang II) for 4 weeks until euthanasia. We investigated lead-induced offspring heart damage from embryonic period to adulthood by echocardiographic analysis, pathological H&E staining, and ultrastructural examination, as well as mitochondrial function detection. The results showed early-life lead exposure predisposed offspring mice to decreased ejection fraction, increased left ventricular volume, accompanied by hypertrophy and dilation, cardiomyocyte sarcomere dysplasia, abnormal mitochondrial structure, mitochondrial dysfunction, and decreased expression of key sarcomeric and mitochondrial genes, rendering them more susceptible to cardiac hypertrophy, vascular wall thickening, cardiac fibrosis, apoptosis, and heart failure induced by Ang II infusion. This study elucidates early-life low dose lead exposure compromises cardiac development and exacerbates second hit-induced cardiac pathological responses in adulthood, which furnishes crucial scientific evidence pertaining to the cardiac toxicity and risk evaluation associated with early-life exposure to lead.

Associations Between the Lead Level in Maternal Blood and Umbilical Cord Blood and Congenital Heart Diseases in Offspring

The incidence of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) shows an increasing trend and results in large health burdens in China. However, there have been inconsistent results of the relationship between lead (Pb) level and risk of CHDs. We performed a pair-matched case-control study and included 97 cases and 194 controls to investigate the association between pregnancy Pb exposure and the risk of CHDs in a birth cohort study conducted in Lanzhou, China. The results showed that compared to the lowest Pb tertile, both highest tertile levels of maternal blood and umbilical cord blood Pb were associated with an increased risk of CHDs. The similar significant results were found in cases with isolated CHDs. Compared to both lowest tertiles of Pb level in maternal blood and umbilical cord blood, the highest tertile was associated with an increased risk of CHDs, especially for isolated CHDs. Overall, our study suggests a significant association between pregnancy Pb exposure and risk of CHDs, especially for isolated CHDs. Future studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanism.

Exposure to essential and non-essential trace elements and risks of congenital heart defects: A narrative review

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are congenital abnormalities involving the gross structures of the heart and large blood vessels. Environmental factors, genetic factors and their interactions may contribute to the pathogenesis of CHDs. Generally, trace elements can be classified into essential trace elements and non-essential trace elements. Essential trace elements such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), selenium (Se), and manganese (Mn) play important roles in human biological functions such as metabolic function, oxidative stress regulation, and embryonic development. Non-essential trace elements such as cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), nickle (Ni), barium (Ba), chromium (Cr) and mercury (Hg) are harmful to health even at low concentrations. Recent studies have revealed the potential involvement of these trace elements in the pathogenesis of CHDs. In this review, we summarized current studies exploring exposure to essential and non-essential trace elements and risks of CHDs, in order to provide further insights for the pathogenesis and prevention of CHDs.

Efficacy and Safety of Minimally Invasive Transcatheter Closure of Congenital Heart Disease under the Guidance of Transesophageal Ultrasound: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of minimally invasive transcatheter closure of congenital heart disease (CHD) under the guidance of transesophageal ultrasound.

Methods

A total of 100 patients with CHD treated in our hospital from February 2019 to April 2020 were enrolled in the group. The patients were randomly divided into control group and research group. The control group received minimally invasive transcatheter closure under the guidance of X-ray, and the research group received minimally invasive transcatheter closure under the guidance of transesophageal ultrasound. The operative results, the intraoperative- and postoperative-related indexes, and the incidence of early postoperative complications and follow-up results were compared.

Results

First of all, we compared the results of the two groups: 48 cases of success, 2 cases of difficulty in the research group, 35 cases of success, 11 cases of difficulty, and 4 cases of failure in the control group. The success rate in the research group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Secondly, we compare the relevant indicators in the process of operation. The operation time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, upper and lower cavity obstruction time, and blood transfusion volume in the research group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In terms of postoperative-related indexes, the ventilator-assisted time, 24 h postoperative drainage, ICU time, and postoperative hospital stay in the research group were all lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of early postoperative complications in the research group was significantly lower than that in the control group such as secondary pleural hemostasis, pulmonary infection, pleural effusion, subcutaneous emphysema, poor incision healing, phrenic nerve loss, and right lower limb numbness (P < 0.05). All patients were followed up for 6 months, and the cardiac function of both groups returned to normal. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative residual shunt and new tricuspid regurgitation. There was no significant difference in the data (P > 0.05). Considering abnormal ECG events, the incidence of abnormal ECG events (complete right bundle branch block, incomplete right bundle branch block, second- and third-degree block, left anterior branch block) in the research group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Minimally invasive transcatheter closure of CHD under the guidance of transesophageal ultrasound has the advantages of less trauma, less blood loss, short hospital stay, simple operation, less postoperative complications, and remarkable therapeutic effect. Minimally invasive transcatheter closure under the guidance of transesophageal ultrasound has the advantage of adapting to a wide range of syndromes and can be used for the closure of CHD in children. According to different types of CHD, registering the corresponding occlusive pathway can improve the success rate of operation. Through postoperative reexamination and regular follow-up, it is proved that minimally invasive transcatheter closure under the guidance of transesophageal ultrasound is safe, effective, and feasible.

Developmental toxicant exposures and sex-specific effects on epigenetic programming and cardiovascular health across generations

Despite substantial strides in diagnosis and treatment, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to represent the leading cause of death in the USA and around the world, resulting in significant morbidity and loss of productive years of life. It is increasingly evident that environmental exposures during early development can influence CVD risk across the life course. CVDs exhibit marked sexual dimorphism, but how sex interacts with environmental exposures to affect cardiovascular health is a critical and understudied area of environmental health. Emerging evidence suggests that developmental exposures may have multi- and transgenerational effects on cardiovascular health, with potential sex differences; however, further research in this important area is urgently needed. Lead (Pb), phthalate plasticizers, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants with numerous adverse human health effects. Notably, recent evidence suggests that developmental exposure to each of these toxicants has sex-specific effects on cardiovascular outcomes, but the underlying mechanisms, and their effects on future generations, require further investigation. This review article will highlight the role for the developmental environment in influencing cardiovascular health across generations, with a particular emphasis on sex differences and epigenetic mechanisms. In particular, we will focus on the current evidence for adverse multi and transgenerational effects of developmental exposures to Pb, phthalates, and PFAS and highlight areas where further research is needed.