Hybrid Palliation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Role of Echocardiography.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a spectrum of complex congenital cardiac defects. Although in borderline cases, biventricular repair is a viable option, in the majority of cases, univentricular palliation is the treatment of choice. Hybrid palliation can be a valid alternative to classic Norwood operation in the neonatal period, especially in selected cases such as high-risk patients or borderline left ventricles.

Early hybrid approach and enteral feeding algorithm could reduce the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis in neonates with ductus-dependent systemic circulation.

Background: The reported incidence of necrotising enterocolitis in neonates with complex CHD with ductus-dependent systemic circulation ranges from 6.8 to 13% despite surgical treatment; the overall mortality is between 25 and 97%. The incidence of gastrointestinal complications after hybrid palliation for neonates with ductus-dependent systemic circulation still has to be defined, but seems comparable with that following the Norwood procedure.

Mechanically Assisted Total Cavopulmonary Connection With an Axial Flow Pump: Computational and In Vivo Study.

A relevant number of patients undergoing total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) experience heart failure (HF). Heart transplant is then the final option when all other treatments fail. The axial flow blood pumps are now the state of the art; however, there is little experience in low-pressure circuits, such as support of the right ventricle or even a TCPC circulation.

Inflammatory cytokines in pediatric cardiac surgery and variable effect of the hemofiltration process.

Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) elicits an inflammatory response and has a multitude of biological consequences, ranging from subclinical organ dysfunction to severe multiorgan failure. Pediatric patients are more prone to have a reaction that can jeopardize their outcome. Cytokines are supposed to be important mediators in this response: limiting their circulating levels is, therefore, appealing.

Feasibilty of in utero DNA vaccination following naked gene transfer into pig fetal muscle: transgene expression, immunity and safety.

The high toll of death among first-week infants is due to infections occurring at the end of pregnancy, during birth or by breastfeeding. This problem significantly concerns industrialized countries also. To prevent the typical "first-week infections", a vaccine would be protective as early as at the birth.

Inflammatory response to cardiac bypass in ewe fetuses: effects of steroid administration or continuous hemodiafiltration.

Objectives: We sought to investigate the effectiveness of glucocorticoid administration or continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration on endothelin and corticotropin-releasing factor release or clearance during prolonged fetal cardiac bypass and on the overall performance of fetuses.

Methods: Circulating endothelin 1, 2, and 3 and corticotropin-releasing factor levels were measured in fetal ewes during a 60-minute cardiac bypass period performed with an inline axial flow pump. Blood samples were collected before, during, and 90 minutes after cardiac bypass.

The intracoelomic route: a new approach for in utero human cord blood stem cell transplantation.

The intracoelomic route for in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been evaluated in pre-immune fetal sheep and the engraftment characteristics defined. Twelve ovine fetuses (gestational ages: 40-45 days) received intracoelomic transplants of human CD3-depleted (50 x 10(6) per lamb) or CD34-selected (1-2 x 10(5) per lamb) cord blood hematopoietic stem cells. Engraftment was evaluated from cell suspension of the liver, spleen, bone marrow and thymus by flow cytometry, cloning assays and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for human beta(2)-microglobulin gene.

A novel route of transplantation of human cord blood stem cells in preimmune fetal sheep: the intracelomic cavity.

The intracelomic route for in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was evaluated in preimmune fetal sheep and the engraftment characteristics were defined. Twelve twin ovine fetuses (gestational age: 40-45 days) received intracelomic transplants of human CD3-depleted (50 x 10(6) per lamb) or CD34-selected (1-2 x 10(5) per lamb) cord blood hematopoietic stem cells. Engraftment was evaluated from cell suspensions of the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus by flow cytometry, cloning assays, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses of human beta2-microglobulin.