Heat shock protein 70-1 gene expression in pediatric heart surgery using blood cardioplegia

• Published in: Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 244 - 248
• Main Authors: Vittorini, Simona, Storti, Simona, Andreani, Giovanna, Giusti, Lauro, Murzi, Bruno, Furfori, Pierantonio, Baroni, Alessandra, Lucia, Vittoria De, Luisi, Vincenzo Stefano, Clerico, Aldo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Walter de Gruyter 01.02.2007; New York, NY
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac Surgical Procedures - methods; cardioplegia; Child; Child, Preschool; congenital heart disease; Female; Gene Expression; General aspects; Heart Arrest, Induced; Heart Atria - chemistry; heat shock proteins; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Up-Regulation - genetics; Human; Heart; Pediatrics; Cardiovascular disease; Cardioplegia; Gene expression; Blood; Medicine; Surgery; Clinical biology; Heat shock protein; congenital heart disease; Heat shock protein 70; Circulatory system; Congenital cardiopathy; Child; heat shock proteins
• ISSN: 1434-6621; 1437-4331
• DOI: 10.1515/CCLM.2007.030

Background: In response to many stress stimuli, cardiomyocytes produce a common set of heat shock proteins (HSP). Up-regulation of HSP70-1 (the inducible isoform) is known to reduce the risk of myocardial cell damage during open-heart surgery and seems to be protective against ischemia. We assessed hsp70-1 gene expression during blood cardioplegic arrest in children undergoing surgical correction of congenital heart defects. Methods: In tissue samples taken from the right atrium of 59 pediatric patients, we examined hsp70-1 gene expression using a real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR, with 18S rRNA as internal standard. Results: On average, hsp70-1 gene expression was higher than the baseline level by a factor of 1.44± 0.17 (mean±SEM). A significant relationship between hsp70-1 mRNA levels and aortic cross-clamp time was observed (R2=0.069, p=0.044). Conversely, no significant correlation was observed between hsp70-1 mRNA levels and temperature. Conclusions: These data suggest that blood cardioplegia can induce an increment in the expression of hsp70-1, confirming its protective role in ischemia/reperfusion injury. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:244–8.