Myocardial injury in infants ventilated on the paediatric intensive care unit: a case control study

LncRNA Zfas1 boosts cell apoptosis and autophagy in myocardial injury induced by hypoxia via miR-383-5p/ATG10 axis

Background

Myocardial injury has been regarded as a major cause of several heart diseases. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has emerged as a key regulator in a wide array of diseases.

Aim of the study

This study aims to explore the role of Zfas1 in myocardial injury.

Methods

3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was adopted to evaluate the proliferative capability of H9c2 cells. Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and flow cytometry assays were employed to measure cell apoptosis. The expression of proteins related to apoptosis and autophagy was examined by Western blot. Immunofluorescence (IF) assay was performed to monitor the process of autophagy. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was employed to determine the expressions of autophagy-related gene 10 (ATG10), miR-383-5p and Zfas1. The interacting relationship between miR-383-5p and ATG10 (or Zfas1) was assessed by luciferase reporter and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays.

Results

The treatment of hypoxia hindered cell proliferation but accelerated cell apoptosis and autophagy. ATG10 exhibited higher mRNA and protein expression in H9c2 cells induced by hypoxia. MiR-383-5p was revealed to be the upstream gene of ATG10 and could interact with ATG10. Zfas1 was validated to sponge miR-383-5p and positively regulated ATG10 expression. Zfas1 knockdown-mediated cellular proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy phenotypes were counteracted by ATG10 abundance.

Conclusions

LncRNA Zfas1 boosts cell apoptosis and autophagy in myocardial injury induced by hypoxia via miR-383-5p/ATG10 axis, indicating that Zfas1 may be utilized as a therapeutic target for myocardial injury.

Echocardiographic Markers of Mild Pulmonary Hypertension are not Correlated with Worse Respiratory Outcomes in Infants with Bronchiolitis

Pulmonary hypertension has been reported as a crucial factor in the pathophysiology of severe bronchiolitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in patients with bronchiolitis and to analyze their correlation with clinical outcomes. This prospective cohort study examined children admitted for bronchiolitis. PAP was assessed by right ventricle (RV) acceleration/ejection time ratio (AT/ET), isovolumic relaxation time, eccentricity index, and the presence of a pulmonary systolic notch. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was considered if at least two altered parameters were present. Severity of clinical course was established by higher N-terminal (NT)-prohormone BNP (NT-proBNP) values, the need for positive pressure respiratory support (PPRS), and the duration of hospital admission. One hundred sixty-nine children were included in analysis. Sixty-eight patients (40%) required PPRS, and those patients had increased NT-proBNP values and worse tricuspid annular systolic excursion (TAPSE) compared to mild cases (p < 0.001and p < 0.001, respectively). Twenty-two (13%) cases had at least two altered parameters of PAP and met criteria for presumed PH, with no differences in NT-proBNP values, TAPSE, need for PPRS or hospital length of stay compared to normal PAP group (p = 0.98, p = 0.07, p = 0.94 and p = 0.64, respectively). We found no correlation between altered RV AT/ET and worse cardiac function, NT-proBNP values or hospital length of stay. In our cohort, the presence of echocardiographic findings of PH were not associated with worse clinical outcomes. Patients with severe bronchiolitis had higher values ​​of NT-proBNP but, interestingly, no clear association with PH.

Cardiac function in bronchiolitis: Not only a right ventricle matter

OBJECTIVES

Extrapulmonary manifestations of bronchiolitis have been previously studied, with some identifying right ventricle (RV) diastolic/systolic dysfunction. We hypothesized that severe cases of bronchiolitis would have cardiac dysfunction resulting an increase in N-terminal pro-hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) values and worse outcomes. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the existence of cardiac dysfunction and to determine its association with severe bronchiolitis.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included children hospitalized for bronchiolitis under 1-year old between January 2019 and March 2020. At admission, an echocardiography was performed and plasma levels of NT-proBNP were measured. To analyze outcomes, the cohort was divided into two groups based on the need for positive pressure respiratory support (PPRS), and both were compared to healthy infants.

STATISTICS

bivariant analysis, significant differences p < 0.05.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-one patients were included; median age was 2 months. Seventy-three patients required PPRS. Compared to controls, patients requiring PPRS showed worse RV systolic function, with lower tricuspid annular-plane systolic excursion (p = 0.002) and parameters of worse right and left diastolic function (trans-tricuspid E and A wave [p = 0.004 and p = 0.04, respectively] and tricuspid tissue doppler imaging [TDI] e' [p = 0.003], trans-mitral E and mitral TDI a' [p = 0.02 and p = 0.005, respectively]). An NT-ProBNP greater than 3582 pg/dl predicts the need for longer necessity of PPRS in patients younger than 2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to the expected RV systolic dysfunction, patients with severe bronchiolitis have parameters of global diastolic worse function possibly secondary to intrinsic myocardial involvement. NT-ProBNP values at admission had strong discriminatory power to predict worse outcomes.

Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Plasmatic NT-proBNP Are Associated with Adverse Evolution in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis

AIM

To investigate whether the presence of left ventricular myocardial dysfunction (LVMD) assessed by Tei index (LVTX) impacts the outcomes of healthy infants with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis (RSVB). To explore whether N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) increases the accuracy of traditional clinical markers in predicting the outcomes.

METHODS

A single-centre, prospective, cohort study including healthy infants aged 1-12 months old admitted for RSVB between 1 October 2016 and 1 April 2017. All patients underwent clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic evaluation within 24 h of admission. Paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission was defined as severe disease.

RESULTS

We enrolled 50 cases of RSVB (median age of 2 (1-6.5) months; 40% female) and 50 age-matched controls. We observed higher values of LVTX in infants with RSVB than in controls (0.42 vs. 0.36; p = 0.008). Up to nine (18%) children presented with LVMD (LVTX > 0.5), with a higher incidence of PICU admission (89% vs. 5%; p < 0.001). The diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP in predicting LVMD was high (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) 0.95, CI 95% 0.90-1). The diagnostic yield of the predictive model for PICU admission that included NT-proBNP was excellent (AUC 0.945, CI 95% 0.880-1), and significantly higher than the model without NT-proBNP (p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

LVMD could be present in healthy infants with RSVB who develop severe disease. NT-proBNP seems to improve traditional clinical markers for outcomes.

NT-proBNP plasma levels as biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension in healthy infants with respiratory syncytial virus infection

Aim: To explore NT-proBNP as biomarker for pulmonary hypertension (PH) in infants with respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSVI). Patients & methods: We prospectively enrolled 93 healthy infants with RSVI aged 1-12 months. NT-proBNP determination and echocardiography were performed at admission. Results: PH was found in 22% of patients and associated with a severe course of the disease. NT-proBNP >1635 pg/ml resulted an independent predictor for PH (odds ratio: 16.46 [95% CI: 4.10-66; p < 0.001]). The diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP to detect PH in RSVI was high (area under receiver operator curve of 0.932 [95% CI: 0.883-0.981; p < 0.001]). Conclusions: The presence of PH in healthy infants with RSVI is associated with worse outcomes. NT-proBNP resulted an accurate biomarker for PH in this setting.

Myocardial injury in critically ill children: a case control study

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of myocardial injury in critically ill children through assessment of cardiac troponin T levels and whether levels are associated with disease severity and myocardial dysfunction measured by echocardiography. Methods. Over a 6-month period, this case control study included 50 patients admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Zagazig University Children's Hospital. Twenty-five healthy children were included as a control group. Demographic and clinical data including the pediatric index of mortality II score were recorded. Echocardiographic examination was done and level of cardiac troponin T was measured using Elecsys Troponin T STAT Immunoassay. Results. Cardiac troponin T levels were significantly higher in critically ill in comparison to healthy children (median 22 (18–28) pg/mL versus 10 (10-10) pg/mL, P < 0.05). Cardiac troponin T levels correlated positively with duration of ventilation as well as with disease severity and correlated negatively with left ventricular fractional shortening. Moreover, cardiac troponin T levels were significantly higher in nonsurvivors when compared to survivors (median 34.5 (27.5–41.5) pg/mL versus 20 (18–24) pg/mL, P < 0.05). Conclusion. In critically ill children, cardiac troponin T levels were elevated and were associated with duration of ventilation and disease severity.

The Correlation between Troponin and Ferritin Serum Levels in the Patients with Major Beta-Thalassemia

BACKGROUND

Thalassemia is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy whose most common complication is cardiac involvement which ends up in these patients' death. Since troponin is a sensitive and specific marker for the detection of microinfarct, we studied the relationship between troponin and ferritin serum levels for early diagnosis of cardiac involvement in these patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This case-control study was performed on 80 patients, including 40 patients with major thalassemia and normal echocardiography and 40 healthy volunteers ranging from 6 months to 16 years old. All the children were examined and the eligible children who were not infected with known heart disease, iron deficiency anemia, kidney disease, diabetes, fever, and systemic diseases were enrolled into the study after obtaining written informed consents from their parents. At 8:00 A.M. before breakfast, 5cc blood was drawn from these children. After collecting the samples, ferritin and troponin serum levels were evaluated using ELISA and electro- kymonolonsense methods, respectively. The gathered data were analyzed through the SPSS statistical software (v. 20) and T-test. Besides, P value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS

The study results revealed a significant difference between the two groups regarding the mean of the serum levels of troponin (P=0.045) and ferritin (P=0.001). In this study, no significant correlation was observed between serum troponin and ferritin levels and age and BMI in the two groups. Also, no significant relationship was found between serum troponin level and sex (P=0.264).

CONCLUSIONS

In microinfarct, troponin increases independent of ferritin; therefore, it can be used for early detection of cardiac involvement in thalassemia patients to determine the sub-clinical effects.