Evaluation of Plasma Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels and Abdominal Aortic Intima-Media Thickness in Infants of Smoker Mothers

OBJECTIVE

Smoking during pregnancy has harmful effects on the fetus and infant. Although some studies suggest that exposure to fetal-maternal smoking adversely affects both fetal growth and cardiovascular development, the mechanisms and biochemical consequences of smoking in pregnancy and newborns are not yet fully understood. We aimed to investigate whether maternal smoking during pregnancy causes fetal cardiovascular effect by measuring serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level and abdominal aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT).

STUDY DESIGN

This prospective study was conducted in newborns of smoking mothers and never-smoker control mothers during their pregnancies. The babies were evaluated echocardiographically on the first day following birth. In two-dimensional mode, abdominal aIMT measurements were performed. ADMA was measured in umbilical cord blood at birth.

RESULTS

There were 25 mothers in the study group and 25 mothers in the control group. Serum ADMA levels were 0.459 ± 0.119 μmol/L in the study group and 0.374 ± 0.1127 μmol/L in the control group (p = 0.034). The aIMT value in the study group was 0.84 ± 0.026 mm and the aIMT value in the control group was 0.63 ± 0.011 mm (p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

We found that both the serum ADMA and the aIMT significantly increased in the group with newborns of smoker mothers compared with the group of the newborns of never-smoker mothers. It may also be suggested that exposure to fetal-maternal smoking adversely affects cardiovascular development.

KEY POINTS

· It is a known fact that smoking during pregnancy has harmful effects on the development of the fetus and infant.. · We found that both the serum ADMA and aIMT were significantly higher in the group of infants of smoker mothers..

Evaluation of cardiovascular risk by growth-differentiation factor-15 and tissue Doppler imaging in children with subclinical hypothyroidism

OBJECTIVE

Subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as increased TSH serum levels and normal serum free T4 concentrations, has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease in adults. But, data in children and adolescents are scanty and treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism is controversial. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a promising biomarker of cardiac remodeling. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular risk factors in children with subclinical hypothyroidism, measured with tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE), and conventional echocardiography and GDF-15 level.

METHODS

The study comprised a total of 41 pediatric patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) (mean age 9.6 ± 4.7 years) and 31 healthy children (mean age 11.2 ± 3.4 years) as the control group. Subclinical hypothyroidism was defined as a thyroid-stimulating hormone level higher than 4 mIU/l and a normal free-thyroxine level (0.6-1.8 ng/dl). Tissue Doppler echocardiography was performed to all individuals in the control group and patient group at the beginning of the study. Global systolic function as assessed by left ventricular ejection fraction was compared between groups. The serum GDF-15 level was measured.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in demographic parameters between the SH and control groups. The left ventricular internal diameter end systole, interventricular septal end diastole, left ventricular posterior wall end diastole, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion values were significantly different between the SH and control groups (p = 0.038, 0.028, 0.005, and 0.000, respectively). The mean mitral isovolumic relaxation time value of the SH group was 57.2 ± 9.3 ms, compared to 44.5 ± 5.6 ms for the control group (p = 0.000). The mean tricuspid isovolumic contraction time value of the SH group was 58.7 ± 9.4 ms, and that of the control group was 45.1 ± 5.3 ms (p = 0.000). The mean tricuspid isovolumic relaxation time value of the SH group was 58.03 ± 9.5 ms, and that of the control group was 45.1 ± 5.3 ms (p = 0.000). There were no significant differences in the other m-mode or pulse Doppler echocardiography values between two groups. The GDF-15 value of the SH group was 382.6 ± 268.2 pg/mL, and that of the control group was 473.6 ± 337.9 pg/mL; this difference was not significant.

CONCLUSION

Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism versus healthy individuals had some changes in echocardiographic parameters that indicate involvement of diastolic function of the left ventricle. They were significantly different when compared SH group and the control group. This study demonstrated ventricle diastolic dysfunction in pediatric patients with hypothyroidism. The results of our study suggest that cardiac follow-up may be useful in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and clinical trials are needed to explore therapeutic effects of T4 and T3 administration in this patients.

Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Level and Tissue Doppler Echocardiography as a Tool in Identification of Cardiac Effects in the Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of growth-differentiation factor-15 level and tissue Doppler imaging in the detection of cardiomyopathy in children who have type 1 diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-eight patients (11 males and 27 females) with type 1 diabetes mellitus were included in this study. The control group consisted of 40 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers. All children underwent a detailed echocardiography, which contained an m-mode, pulse Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging; and growth-differentiation factor-15 level was measured.

RESULTS

In this study, there were significant differences between diastolic function parameters of the heart. The mitral isovolumic contraction time, contraction time, and isovolumic relaxation time values were different in the patients than in the controls (p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.01, respectively). Also, the tricuspid isovolumic contraction time, contraction time, and isovolumic relaxation time values were different in the patients than in the controls (p<0.01, p=0.01, p<0.01, respectively). No statistically significant difference was found between the other M-mode parameters. Mean plasma growth-differentiation factor-15 level was significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The follow-up of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus in terms of cardiomyopathy and the use of tissue Doppler imaging and growth differentiation factor-15 levels may be useful.