Management of left atrial myxoma in pregnant women: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial myxoma during pregnancy is rare. We present three cases in order to aid in the management. CASE PRESENTATION: Three cases of left atrial myxoma during pregnancy were presented in this article. Three patients all received multidisciplinary team work and acquired good outcomes. The case 1 had no symptoms and delivered before traditional cardiac surgery. The case 2 and case 3 undergone totally endoscopic minimally invasive cardiac surgery during pregnancy. The case 3 maintained pregnancy to term and gave birth to a healthy baby via vaginal delivery. No relapse of the tumor was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The management of left atrial myxoma during pregnancy ought to be individualized and combined with the gestational age. If the diagnosis was made in the first two trimesters of pregnancy, totally endoscopic minimally invasive cardiac surgery during pregnancy would be an optimal choice. The patients can benefit from the multidisciplinary team work.

Case Report: Totally endoscopic minimally invasive mitral valve surgery during pregnancy: a case series.

A totally endoscopic minimally invasive approach is widely used for cardiac valve surgery in normal adults. However, minimally invasive cardiac surgery during pregnancy is rarely reported. In addition to traditional median thoracotomy, totally endoscopic minimally invasive approaches can now be used for pregnant patients. We describe our experience with totally endoscopic cardiac valve surgery (TECVS) during pregnancy, which is safe for both mothers and fetuses.

Fetal Pulmonary Valvuloplasty in Fetuses with Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstructive Disease: Experience and Outcome of the First Five Cases in China.

The current study was to report our initial experiences of fetal pulmonary valvuloplasty (FPV) for fetuses with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) and critical pulmonary stenosis (CPS), including case selection, technical feasibility, and the effects of FPV on utero and postnatal outcome. Two fetuses with PA/IVS and three fetuses with CPS were enrolled between September 2016 and April 2018. All fetuses were with concomitant severe right ventricular dysplasia and growth arrest. Parameters of right cardiac development and hemodynamics, including tricuspid/mitral annulus ratio (TV/MV), right ventricle/left ventricle long-axis ratio (RV/LV), tricuspid valve inflow duration/cardiac cycle ratio (TVI/CC), degree of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), and blood flow direction of arterial duct and ductus venosus, were evaluated using echocardiogram. FPV was performed trans-abdominally under ultrasound guidance. Echocardiogram was performed post-FPV and every 2-4 weeks thereafter until delivery. The median gestational age at the time of FPV was 28 weeks. From technical perspective, pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty was successfully performed and the opening of pulmonary valve was improved in all fetuses in 2-4 weeks. However, progressive restenosis was observed in four fetuses with gestation advancing, and re-atresia occurred in two PA/IVS fetuses at 36th and 37th weeks' gestation, respectively. The growth trajectories of TV/MV, RV/LV, and TVI/CC were improved in the 1st week after FPV and then slowed down along with pulmonary valve restenosis. All fetuses were born alive and underwent postnatal interventions, including pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty in three fetuses and surgical procedures in two fetuses. During follow-up, three fetuses turned to be biventricular, one became one and a half ventricular at 1-year old, and one died of neonatal infection. Although pulmonary valve restenosis might occur as gestation advancing, FPV seems to be a safe and feasible procedure to improve the growth trajectories of right heart for fetuses with PA/IVS and CPS.

Evaluation of interactive effects between paternal alcohol consumption and paternal socioeconomic status and environmental exposures on congenital heart defects.

BACKGROUND: While the maternal risk factors on congenital heart defects (CHDs) have often been assessed, paternal contribution to CHDs, especially the joint effects of paternal risk factors on CHDs remain unknown. This study examined the major impacts of paternal alcohol consumption and its interaction (on multiplicative and additive scales) with paternal socioeconomic status (SES) and environmental exposures on CHDs in China. METHODS: A population-based case-control study involving 4,726 singleton CHDs cases and 4,726 controls (without any malformation and matched on hospital, gender, and gestational age) was conducted in Guangdong, China, 2004-2014. Information on parental demographics, behavioral patterns, disease/medication, and environmental exposures (3 months before pregnancy) was collected through face-to-face interviews. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) while controlling for all parental factors. RESULTS: Paternal alcohol consumption was associated with an increased OR of CHDs (adjusted OR = 2.87, 95% CI: 2.25-3.65). Additionally, paternal smoking, industry occupation, organic solvent contact, virus infection and antibiotic use, living in rural areas, low household income, and migrant status were significantly associated with CHDs (ORs ranged: 1.42-4.44). Significant additive or multiplicative interactions were observed between paternal alcohol consumption and paternal smoking, industrial occupation, and low income on any CHDs (interaction contrast ratio [ICR] = 4.72, 95% CI: 0.96-8.47] and septal defects (ICRs ranged from 2.04 to 2.79, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Paternal alcohol consumption and multiple paternal factors were significantly associated with CHDs in China. Paternal smoking and low SES factors modified paternal alcohol consumption-CHDs relationships. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Cardiac operation under cardiopulmonary bypass during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Certain pregnant women suffer from cardiac pathology,and a few of them need cardiac operations under cardiopulmonary bypass during pregnancy. Feto-neonatal and maternal outcomes have not been sufficiently described. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 22 cases of women undergoing cardiac operations under cardiopulmonary bypass during pregnancy in our hospital from Jan.2014 to Mar.2019. RESULTS: All 22 patients were alive after treatment. The types of cardiac disorders included congenital heart defects, rheumatic heart disease,infective endocarditis,aortic dissection, obstruction and/or thrombosis of a prosthetic valve. Only one case was a twin pregnancy,and the other 21 cases were singletons. Four fetuses died in the utero after surgery. Three patients chose termination of the pregnancy after the cardiac operations: one fetus was detected abnormity of the brain and the other two patients abandoned pregnancy. Fourteen fetuses were alive and born without any abnormity. Two fetuses suffered from neonatal intracranial hemorrhage and died after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac operation under cardiopulmonary bypass during pregnancy is a challenge for physicians in multidisciplinary teams. Strictly evaluating the indication is vital. On the other hand, some patients can benefit from this management.

Nicotine Suppresses the Invasiveness of Human Trophoblasts by Downregulation of CXCL12 Expression through the Alpha-7 Subunit of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor.

Smoke exposure during pregnancy has detrimental effects upon numerous fetal and neonatal outcomes. Nicotine (the main component of tobacco) has been suggested to affect placental development. During placental development, efficient invasion by trophoblasts is required for establishment of the fetus-maternal circulation. In this study we explored the regulation of trophoblast invasion by nicotine. An immortalized first trimester extravillous trophoblast cell line (HTR-8/SVneo cells) was used for all the experiments, which were treated by nicotine, methyllycaconitine, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12). Total RNA and protein were used to study the expressions of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and transwell assay was used to study invasiveness. Changes of RNA expression due to nicotine treatment were detected by RNA sequence. Level of CXCL12 mRNA was verified by quantitative PCR. We showed that HTR-8/SVneo expressed subunits α2-4, α7, α9, ß1, and ß2 of nAChRs. Nicotine downregulated CXCL12 expression and inhibited trophoblast invasion. Methyllycaconitine, as an antagonist of the α7 homopolymer, blocked the inhibitory effect of nicotine. CXCL12 could rescue the nicotine-induced inhibitory effect on invasion of HTR-8/SVneo cells. These results suggest that the α7 subunit of the nAChR has important roles in modulating trophoblast invasion through CXCL12.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG6 contributes to ventricular septal defect formation via negative regulation of miR-101 and activation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6), a long noncoding RNA, in the formation of ventricular septal defect (VSD). The expression of SNHG6 in fetal cardiac tissues with VSD, mouse heart embryo development and the differentiation of P19 cells into cardiomyocytes were determined. Moreover, the effect of aberrant expression of SNHG6 on P19 cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis and differentiation was further analyzed to explore the role of SNHG6 in affecting myocardial development. Furthermore, the regulatory mechanism between SNHG6 and miR-101 as well as between SNHG6 and activation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway was investigated. SNHG6 was upregulated in fetal cardiac tissues with VSD, and decreased in the embryonic development of mice and differentiation of P19 cells into cardiomyocytes. Overexpression of SNHG6 inhibited P19 cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, as well as promoted cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, SNHG6 could negative regulate the expression of miR-101, and the effects of SNHG6 on the modulation of P19 cell function were through negative regulation of miR-101. In addition, overexpression of SNHG6 activated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, which was reversed after overexpression of SNHG6 and miR-101 synchronously. Our study reveals that SNHG6 may contribute to VSD formation via negative regulation of miR-101 and activation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. SNHG6 may constitute a potential therapeutic target in this disease.

Perinatal and early postnatal outcomes for fetuses with prenatally diagnosed d-transposition of the great arteries: a prospective cohort study assessing the effect of standardised prenatal consultation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore perinatal and early postnatal outcomes in fetuses with prenatally diagnosed d-transposition of the great arteries and impacts of standardised prenatal consultation. METHODS: All fetuses with prenatally diagnosed d-transposition of the great arteries prospectively enrolled at South China cardiac centre from 2011 to 2015. Standardised prenatal consultation was introduced in 2013 and comprehensive measures were implemented, such as establishing fetal CHD Outpatient Consultation Service, performing standard prenatal consultation according to specifications, and establishing a multidisciplinary team with senior specialists performing in-person consultations. Continuous follow-up investigation was conducted. Perinatal and postnatal outcomes were compared before and after consultation including live birth, elective termination of pregnancy, spontaneous fetal death, stillbirths, referral for surgery, and survival. RESULTS: In all, 146 fetuses were enrolled with 41 (28%) lost to follow-up. Among 105 remaining fetuses, 29 (28%) were live births and 76 (72%) were terminated. After consultation, live birth rate was higher (50 versus 33%) and termination rate was lower (50 versus 76%), although there was no statistical significance. Excluding three live births without postnatal d-transposition of the great arteries, 65% (17/26) underwent arterial switch operation within 30 days. A total of three in-hospital deaths occurred and during the 10-month follow-up period, one death was observed. In one case, the switch procedure was performed at 13 months and the infant survived. Out of eight infants without arterial switch operation, two died. CONCLUSIONS: Live birth rate increased after consultation; however, termination remained high. Combining termination, patients without arterial switch operation, and operative mortality, outcomes of d-transposition of the great arteries infants can be improved. Standard consultation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and improved perinatal care are important to improve outcomes.

[Surgical management of pregnancy-associated acute Stanford type A aortic dissection: analysis of 5 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-associated acute Stanford type A aortic dissection to improve the maternal and fetal outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed the perioperative data of 5 pregnant women with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection treated between June, 2009 and February, 2017. RESULTS: The median age of the women was 30 years (range, 22-34 years) with gestational weeks of 23-38 weeks upon diagnosis. All the 5 patients received surgical interventions. Three patients underwent caesarean delivery and hysterectomy, and the fetuses survived after the surgery; 2 patients chose to continue pregnancy following the surgery, among whom one died due to postoperative complications and the other underwent termination of pregnancy. During follow-up, the surviving patients showed no endoleak in the descending aorta stent and the distal dissection remained stable. CONCLUSION: The maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancy-associated acute Stanford type A aortic dissection can be improved by multidisciplinary cooperation and optimization of the surgical approaches according to the time of pregnancy, fetal development and conditions of the aortic lesions.

Associations between toxic and essential trace elements in maternal blood and fetal congenital heart defects.

Prenatal exposure to toxic trace elements, including heavy metals, is an important public health concern. Few studies have assessed if individual and multiple trace elements simultaneously affect cardiac development. The current study evaluated the association between maternal blood lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) levels and congenital heart defects (CHDs) in offspring. This hospital-based case-control study included 112 case and 107 control infants. Maternal peripheral blood draw was made during gestational weeks 17-40 and used to determine trace element levels by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations and interactions between individual and multiple trace elements and fetal CHDs, adjusted for maternal age, parity, education, newborn gender, migrant, folic acid or multivitamin intake, cigarette smoking, maternal prepregnancy body mass index, and time of sample collection. Control participants had medians of 2.61µg/dL Pb, 1.76µg/L Cd, 3.57µg/L Cr, 896.56µg/L Cu, 4.17µg/L Hg, and 186.47µg/L Se in blood. In a model including all measured trace elements and adjusted for confounders, high levels of maternal Pb (OR=12.09, 95% CI: 2.81, 51.97) and Se (OR=0.25, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.77) were harmful and protective predictors of CHDs, respectively, with positive and negative interactions suggested for Cd with Pb and Se with Pb, respectively. Similar associations were detected for subgroups of CHDs, including conotruncal defects, septal defects, and right ventricle outflow tract obstruction. Our results suggest that even under the current standard for protecting human health (10µg/dL), Pb exposure poses an important health threat. These data can be used for developing interventions and identifying high-risk pregnancies.