Changes Of Plasma Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor And Transforming Growth Factor-β₁in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease And Pulmonary Artery Hypertension

Objective:To measure the levels of plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transform growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) in the patients with left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease (CHD) combined with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).To investigate the effects and clinic significance of VEGF and TGF-β1in patients with CHD combined with PAH.Methods:From August2011to March2012, a total of78patients with CHD in our hospital were enrolled in the study (male19,female59). Average age was14-57(32.2±9.0) years.Right heart catheterization were taken in all patients, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) were on the record. The patients were divided into4groups according to the levels of mPAP, including normal PAH group(mPAP≤25mmHg,20patients); mild PAH group(25mmHg<mPAP≤35mmHg,21patients); moderate PAH group(35mmHg<mPAP≤45mmHg,14patients) and severe PAH group(mPAP>45mmHg,23patients). We collected pulmonary artery blood and measured the levels of VEGF and TGF-β1by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and investigated the relationship among VEGF, TGF-β1and mPAP. All calculations were performed by SPSS version17.0(SPSS, Inc., Chicago, Illinois). Results:1.The level of plasma VEGF in the mild, moderate and severe PAH groups were significantly higher than none PAH group(P<0.05), there were statistical differences among the mild, moderate or severe PAH groups in the level of plasma TGF-β1(P<0.05).2. The level of plasma VEGF was positively correlated with mPAP (r=0.814, P<0.05).The level of plasma TGF-β1was positively correlated with mPAP (r=0.723, P<0.05)3. The level of plasma VEGF was positively correlated with the level of TGF-β1(r=0.758, P<0.05).Conclusion:1. VEGF and TGF-β1involved in the physiological processes of CHD combined with PAH and the plasma levels could be regarded as one of the markers to evaluate the extent of PAH in the patient with CHD.2.VEGF and TGF-β1make a certain kind of sense and clinical value for monitoring the dynamic changing process of the occurrence and development of PAH.