Differences in Cardiopulmonary Fitness Between Boy and Girls With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot

Mutations in genes related to myocyte contraction and ventricular septum development in non-syndromic tetralogy of Fallot

Objective

Eighty percent of patients with a diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) do not have a known genetic etiology or syndrome. We sought to identify key molecular pathways and biological processes that are enriched in non-syndromic TOF, the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease, rather than single driver genes to elucidate the pathogenesis of this disease.

Methods

We undertook exome sequencing of 362 probands with non-syndromic TOF and their parents within the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC). We identified rare (minor allele frequency <1 × 10-4), de novo variants to ascertain pathways and processes affected in this population to better understand TOF pathogenesis. Pathways and biological processes enriched in the PCGC TOF cohort were compared to 317 controls without heart defects (and their parents) from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI).

Results

A total of 120 variants in 117 genes were identified as most likely to be deleterious, with CHD7, CLUH, UNC13C, and WASHC5 identified in two probands each. Gene ontology analyses of these variants using multiple bioinformatic tools demonstrated significant enrichment in processes including cell cycle progression, chromatin remodeling, myocyte contraction and calcium transport, and development of the ventricular septum and ventricle. There was also a significant enrichment of target genes of SOX9, which is critical in second heart field development and whose loss results in membranous ventricular septal defects related to disruption of the proximal outlet septum. None of these processes was significantly enriched in the SFARI control cohort.

Conclusion

Innate molecular defects in cardiac progenitor cells and genes related to their viability and contractile function appear central to non-syndromic TOF pathogenesis. Future research utilizing our results is likely to have significant implications in stratification of TOF patients and delivery of personalized clinical care.

Cardiopulmonary Fitness of Preschoolers with Congenital Heart Disease: An Observational Study

With advancements in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation over the past few decades, the survival rate of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased. However, the Cardiopulmonary fitness (CPF) of these patients is poor. Here, we aimed to investigate CPF in preschoolers with CHD (aged 4 to 6 years) using cardiopulmonary exercise testing. We retrospectively compared 102 healthy preschoolers with 80 preschoolers with CHD. The latter had lower peak oxygen consumption, oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold and metabolic equivalent at anaerobic threshold. The same result was observed in boys with CHD, but not in girls, when sex was sub-analyzed. Considering the body composition, children with CHD had a lower fat-free mass index (FFMI) than their healthy peers. Healthy preschoolers with a normal body mass index (BMI) had higher anaerobic threshold and peak metabolic equivalent values than overweight or underweight children. This was categorized under the BMI reference of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan. In conclusion, the CPF difference between the CHD and healthy groups was identified as early as in preschool age, and better CPF in healthy preschoolers within the normal BMI range suggests the importance of weight control in young children.

Comparison of efficacy and safety of robotic surgery and laparoscopic surgery for choledochal cyst in children: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Most commonly, cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy reconstruction are the optimal treatment for choledochal cysts (CC). Robotic surgery (RS) is being conducted with increasing frequency to treat CC. It is unclear whether RS can overcome the limitations of laparoscopic surgery (LS) and improve the prognosis of patients. In terms of efficacy, evidence concerning which minimally invasive surgery is preferred is, however, sparse. Our objective is to further compare the efficacy of RS and LS in children with CC and draw a useful clinical conclusion.

METHODS

Studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified from a series of databases, consisting of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and their reference list of articles up to May 2022. Eligible articles comprised at least five objects that were younger than 18 years of age and the language was limited to English. Two authors independently evaluated selected studies and extracted data for analysis.

RESULTS

Forty studies were selected for analysis, with thirty-six reporting data on LS and eight containing data on RS. The pooled conversion rate and pooled postoperative complication rate of RS were lower than those of LS, but none of them was statistically significant. Moreover, comparisons of the following detailed postoperative complication rates were not statistically significant, such as intestinal obstruction or ileus, anastomotic bleeding, anastomotic or bile leakage, and anastomotic stenosis. However, the intraoperative blood loss and the postoperative hospital stay in RS group were significantly lower than those in LS group.

CONCLUSIONS

RS is a safe and feasible option for children with CC. Further studies with more cases, long-term efficacy and health economics analysis are needed to confirm whether RS is more advantageous.