Fetuses with congenital heart disease had significantly higher amniotic fluid 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations than controls (2849 vs 2088 ng/mg Cr, p<0.001), indicating increased oxidative stress.
Case-Control (n=123)
No
Are amniotic fluid 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations elevated in fetuses with isolated major congenital heart disease compared to controls?
Fetuses with congenital heart disease exhibit increased intrauterine oxidative stress, as indicated by elevated amniotic fluid 8-iso-PGF2α levels.
Absolute Event Rate: 2849% vs 2088%
p-value: p=<0.001
Advances in prenatal diagnosis have improved the perinatal management of congenital heart disease (CHD). However postnatal comorbidities still persist due to multifactorial causes, which limits prenatal prediction of individual outcomes. Oxidative stress (OS), particularly lipid peroxidation, has been suggested to play a role in the development and progression of CHD, with 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) serving as a biomarker of oxidative injury. This prospective case–control study aimed to evaluate OS in fetuses with isolated major CHD by comparing amniotic fluid (AF) 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations with controls. A total of 123 fetuses (83 CHD, 40 controls) were included at a tertiary CHD referral center. CHD cases were subclassified according to anatomical type and expected fetal brain perfusion under placental circulation. Controls were gestational age-matched pregnancies undergoing amniocentesis for indications unlikely to affect OS. All pregnant women underwent standardized fetal biometry, Doppler assessment, and detailed echocardiography. AF samples were obtained by amniocentesis and analyzed for free 8-iso-PGF2α using a competitive ELISA, with values normalized to creatinine. Clinical, obstetric, and Doppler characteristics were comparable between groups. CHD fetuses showed significantly higher AF 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations than controls (2849 ± 1377 vs. 2088 ± 1087 ng/mg Cr, p = < 0.001), and remained significant after adjustment for GA, smoking status, diabetes and maternal age and body mass index (BMI). No consistent differences were observed across anatomical or hemodynamic CHD subgroups. These findings provide the first intrauterine evidence of increased lipid peroxidation in fetuses with CHD as reflected by elevated amniotic fluid 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations.
Arráez et al. (Wed,) conducted a case-control in Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in fetuses (n=123). Amniotic fluid 8-iso-PGF2α measurement vs. Gestational age-matched control pregnancies was evaluated on Amniotic fluid 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations (p=<0.001). Fetuses with congenital heart disease had significantly higher amniotic fluid 8-iso-PGF2α concentrations than controls (2849 vs 2088 ng/mg Cr, p<0.001), indicating increased oxidative stress.