Studying the effect of interleukin-17 (IL-17) on the mechanism of CD4+ T-cell immune regulation and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway may offer new ideas and methods for the therapy of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Naive CD4+ T cells were isolated from mice using a magnetic bead sorting reagent and manipulated by overexpression or knockdown of IL-17. Protein levels of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), phosphorylated JAK2 (p-JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were determined by Western blotting. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the levels of JAK2, STAT3, MMP-2, and MMP-9. Expression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interferon-gamma (IFNγ) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test kits. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, and IFNγ secretion was measured by flow cytometry.

In CD4+ T cells, IL-17 overexpression increased TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IFNγ, p-JAK2, p-STAT3, MMP-2, MMP-9 levels, and apoptosis. Knockdown of IL-17 reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IFNγ, p-JAK2, p-STAT3, MMP-2, and MMP-9, as well as the level of apoptosis.

Through regulation of IL-17 expression in CD4+ T cells, this study reveals its crucial role in regulating the secretion of inflammatory factors, activation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, expression of matrix metalloproteinases, and apoptosis of CD4+ T cells.

Left ventricular function after arterial switch operation for d-transposition of the great arteries is notoriously compromised because of abnormal coronary artery anatomy or altered loading conditions. We sought to longitudinally investigate the performance of the left ventricle in a cohort of d-transposition of the great artery patients after arterial switch operation, by using advanced echocardiographic deformation imaging and grouping patients according to pre- and post-surgery variables, labelled as risk factors.

Longitudinal single-centre study involving 53 d-transposition of the great artery patients (81.1% male) after arterial switch operation, the latter being performed as unique surgical procedure in 39 patients (76.5%). Median follow-up was 59 months [23.5–72].

Selected patients were split into two groups according to risk factors. Fifteen patients (30.6%) were grouped into high-risk class (<3 risk factors). Echocardiographic variables such as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, ejection fraction, and global longitudinal strain were compared between the two groups. Only global longitudinal strain reached statistical significance (−17.56 ± 2.26 versus −19.82 ± 1.97 %; p < 0.001). To discriminate high- versus low-risk patients, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve identified a global longitudinal strain cut-off value of −17.75% (sensitivity 57.1%, specificity 97%, AUC 80%).

Several neonatal and post-surgical variables might conditionate long-term follow-up of d-transposition of the great artery patients after arterial switch operation, and global longitudinal strain best conveys the overall risk profile of these patients.

Mechanical circulatory support, and specifically extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, plays a critical role in managing paediatric cardiac patients with severe heart failure. Whilst these technologies are vital for bridging patients to recovery or heart transplantation, it is imperative to study the influence of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation on neurodevelopmental outcomes.

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the influence of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation on neurodevelopmental outcomes in paediatric cardiac patients, both post-cardiotomy and non-cardiotomy patients were included.

A comprehensive search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and PsychInfo to identify primary research articles exploring the effects of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation on neurodevelopmental outcomes in paediatric heart patients from inception to June 2024.

Our search yielded 5488 papers of which eight papers were included featuring 302 patients.

The discussion highlights the considerable variability in neurodevelopmental outcomes and how they are measured among extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation survivors. Outcomes vary by patient factors, with recovery potential influenced by the duration and timing of follow-up. We emphasised the importance of standardised assessment tools and extended follow-ups to gain a clearer understanding of these outcomes.

Infants who require cardiopulmonary bypass for surgical repair of CHD are at high risk for secondary infections, which cause significant death and disability. The risk of secondary infection is increased by immune dysfunction. The intestinal microbiome calibrates immune function. Infants with CHD have substantial changes in their intestinal microbiome. We performed this scoping review to describe the current understanding of the relationship between the intestinal microbiome and immune function after pediatric cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

We searched the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane, and Scopus databases with the assistance of a medical librarian. We included trials that analysed intestinal microbiome composition and immune function after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass in infants.

We found two observational cohorts and two interventional trials describing composition of intestinal microbiome and some measures of immune function after heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass in infants. A total of 114 children were analysed. Three trials were exclusively in infants, and one was in older children and infants. All trials found a differential composition of the intestinal microbiome in infants with CHD compared to those without CHD, and one described a robust correlation between composition of the intestinal microbiome with cytokine profile and adverse outcomes.

Despite robust preclinical data and data from other disease states, there is minimal data about the correlation between immune function and intestinal microbiome composition in infants with CHD after cardiopulmonary bypass.

This study investigated the prevalence of malnutrition, time to achieve caloric goals, and nutritional risk factors after surgery for CHD in a cardiac ICU.

This retrospective study included patients with CHD (1 month-18 years old) undergoing open-heart surgery (2021–2022). We recorded nutritional status, body mass index-for-age z-score, weight-for-length/height z-score, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp time, Paediatric Risk of Mortality-3 score, Paediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 score, vasoactive inotropic score, total duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the cardiac ICU, mortality, and time to achieve caloric goals.

Of the 75 included patients, malnutrition was detected in 17% (n= 8) based on the body mass index-for-age z-score and in 35% (n= 10) based on the weight-for-length/height z-score. Sex, mortality, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp time, Paediatric Risk of Mortality-3, Paediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2, and vasoactive inotropic score, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of cardiac ICU stay were similar between patients with and without malnutrition. Patients who achieved caloric goals on the fourth day and those who achieved them beyond the fourth day showed statistical differences in mortality, maximum vasoactive inotropic score, duration of mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp time, Paediatric Risk of Mortality-3, Paediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2, and length of cardiac ICU and hospital stay (p< 0.05). Logit regression analysis indicated that the duration of mechanical ventilation, Paediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 and Paediatric Risk of Mortality-3 score was a risk factor for achieving caloric goals (p< 0.05).

Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with CHD, and concomitant organ failure and duration of mechanical ventilation play important roles in achieving postoperative caloric goals.

Haemolysis is developing prominence in the setting of supporting increasingly complex children with heart failure with a ventricular assist device. The goal of this study is to better characterise haemolysis and its implications in children supported with pulsatile ventricular assist devices.

This is a single-centre retrospective review of 44 children who were supported by Berlin Heart EXCOR between January 2006 and June 2020. Patients were divided into major haemolysers and non-major haemolysers. Major haemolysers were defined as patients with lactate dehydrogenase > 500U/L (2.5x the upper limits of normal) with either total bilirubin > 2mg/dL (with predominantly indirect hyperbilirubinemia) or anaemia out of proportion to the clinical scenario more than three days following implantation of the ventricular assist device(s). Patient demographics, ventricular assist device factors, and outcomes, including end-organ function and mortality, were compared between major haemolysers and non-major haemolysers.

Forty-four patients supported by the Berlin EXCOR were included in the analytic cohort of the study: 27 major haemolysers and 17 non-major haemolysers. Major haemolysis was more common in those supported with single-ventricle ventricular assist device (i.e., VAD in the context of functionally univentricular anatomy) compared to those with biventricular hearts, p = 0.01. There were no patients with an isolated left ventricular assist device or isolated right ventricular assist device in our analytic cohort of 44 patients. Of the 19 patients with single-ventricle ventricular assist device, 84% (16/19) were major haemolysers. Of the 25 patients with a biventricular assist device, 44% (11/25) were major haemolysers. Major haemolysers and non-major haemolysers had a body surface area of 0.28 and 0.40, respectively (p = 0.01). Overall, survival to discharge from the hospital was 66% (n = 29/44). Survival to discharge from the hospital was 52% (14/27) in major haemolysers versus 88% (15/17) in non-major haemolysers, p = 0.02. Only 3 of the 27 with major haemolysis had severe haemolysis, that is, lactate dehydrogenase > 2000 and bilirubin above 10. Non-major haemolysers had a better improvement in creatinine clearance during ventricular assist device support, p < 0.0001. (During the same era of this study, 22 patients who were supported with Berlin Heart were excluded from the analytic cohort because they did not have any recorded measurement of lactate dehydrogenase. Seventeen of these 22 patients had no clinical evidence of haemolysis. Survival to discharge from the hospital in this excluded cohort was 86% [19/22].)

Major haemolysis in patients with pulsatile ventricular assist device is more likely with single-ventricle ventricular assist device support and smaller body surface area.

There is wide variation in institutional sedation strategies in paediatric cardiac ICU. Validated tools such as State Behavioral Scale and Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale were created to help standardise sedation practices.

This is a multi-phase, multicentre, prospective project with the goal of optimising safety and comfort for paediatric cardiac ICU patients. Phase one consisted of an educational intervention with a self-paced, web-based video module on optimal sedation practices using validated sedation screening tools. Participant knowledge was assessed via a de-identified, unmatched pre- and post-test survey. Survey scores were reported as an aggregate average score and compared using a t-test.

There were 259 pre-tests, and 142 post-tests collected during the video-assisted educational intervention. There was a significant increase in mean score on the post-test compared to the pre-test for both instruments: from 4 to 4.8/10 for State Behavioral Scale (p = 0.01) and from 4.5 to 4.9 for Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (p = 0.04). 81% of respondents who completed the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale post-test and 88.1% of those who completed the State Behavioral Scale post-test said their practice would change based on the new knowledge acquired.

We report that our newly developed learning module intervention was effective in increasing short-term knowledge about optimal sedation and sedation scoring. Ongoing phase two efforts include evaluation of long-term compliance of validated sedation screening tools and developing an objective score to measure individual cumulative opioid dosing in the cardiac critical care unit.