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.

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..