Carnitine Levels in Infants with Congestive Heart Failure

Year 2008, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 10 - 14, 01.12.2008

Tevfik Demir Gülay Ahunbay

Abstract

Aim: In this study, we aimed to determine the carnitine levels in infants with cardiac failure due to congenital heart defects. Materials and methods: Forty-two patients with isolated ventricular septal defect (21 with cardiac failureGroup 3 and 21 without it-Group 2) and also 22 healthy infants (Group 1) were included. Serume free and total carnitine levels were studied by Cederblad and Harper method. Results: Age, sex and height among the groups were similar. Weight was lower in Group 3 than the others. Acyl-carnitine level and free/total carnitine ratio were similar among the groups. However free carnitine level in Group 3 was lower than the remaining two groups (p< 0.05). Total carnitine level in Group 3 was lower than the level in Group 1(p< 0.009). Although this level was lower than the one in Group 1, the difference was not significant. The duration was nort correlated with carnitine levels. Conclusion: Serum free carnitine levels in the patients cronic congestive heart failure were low

Keywords

Congestive heart failure, carnitine, ventricular septal defect, infant

Konjestif Kalp Yetersizliği olan Süt çocuklarında Serum Karnitin Düzeyleri

Abstract

Amaç: Süt çocukluğu döneminde doğuştan kalp anomalisine bağlı kalp yetersizliğinde serum karnitin düzeylerini araştırmaktı. Yöntem ve Gereçler: Çalışmamızda izole ventriküler septal defekt tanısı ile izlenen 42 hasta (21 kalp yetersizliği olan-Grup 3, 21 kalp yetersizliği olmayan-Grup 2) ve 22 sağlıklı sütçocuğu (Grup 1) üzerinde yapıldı. Serum örneklerinde serbest ve total karnitin düzeyleri Cederblad ve Harper tarafından tarif edilen yöntem ile çalışıldı. Bulgular: Gruplar arasında yaş, cinsiyet ve boy bakımından anlamlı fark yoktu. Kalp yetersizliği olan grupta ağırlık diğer iki gruba göre anlamlı derecede düşüktü. Açil karnitin ile serbest / total karnitin oranları açısından gruplar arasında fark saptanmadı. Serbest karnitin ise kalp yetersizliği olan grupta, hem sağlıklı süt çocuğuna hem de hastalıklı kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı derecede düşük bulundu (p< 0.05). Total karnitin düzeyleri kalp yetersizliği olan hastalarda, sağlıklı kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı olarak düşük (p< 0.009), kalp yetersizliği olmayan gruba göre düşük ancak istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildi. Kalp yetersizliği süresi ile karnitin düzeyleri arasında bir korelasyon saptanmadı. Sonuç: Serum serbest karnitin düzeyi volüm yüküne bağlı kronik konjestif kalp yetersizliği olan hastalarda düşük bulundu

Keywords

Konjestif kalp yetersizliği, karnitin, vantrikuler septal defekt, süt çocuğu

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