Expression and clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor in congenital heart disease with pulmonary hypertension

Objective:To investigate the formation and clicilinal significance of the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in the development of congenital heart disease with pulmonary hypertension(PH) Methods:Fifty children with congenital heart disease[in these patients,non-PH group in which pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP) was 30 mmHg(n=15),mild-PH group in which PASP was 31～49 mmHg(n=19),moderate or severe-PH group in which PASP was 50 mmHg(n=16)] and 18 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum VEGF concentration was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay.Results: Mean VEGF(104.54±30.55)pg/ml of patients with mild pulmonary hypertension were significantly greater than that of patients with no pulmonary hypertension(28.23±13.47)pg/ml(P0.01);mean VEGF(189.24±43.89)pg/ml of patients with moderate or severe pulmonary hypertension had significantly greater than that of patients with mild pulmonary hypertension(104.54±30.55)pg/ml(P0.01);the mean VEGF between patients with no pulmonary hypertension(28.23±13.47)pg/ml and healthy controls(25.56±10.67)pg/ml had no significance(P0.05). VEGF concentration and pulmonary artery pressure were positively correlated(r=0.783).Conclusion:Serum VEGF concentration in children with congenital heart disease with pulmonary hypertension is much higher than that in control group. VEGF is probably involved in the pathophysiology and vascular remodeling of pulmonary hypertension.