Study on immune function of left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease infants combined with pneumonia

Abstract

Objective To explore the relationship between severity of symptom and immune function in left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease (CHD) infants combined with pneumonia. Methods The clinical data of 45 left-to-right shunt CHD combined with pneumonia infants were retrospectively analyzed. The infants were divided into 2 groups according to the modified Ross score: mild group (0-6 scores, 28 cases) and severe group (7-12 scores, 17 cases); then, the infants were divided into 2 groups according to deformities: single deformity group (the infants had a kind of deformity such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus, 21 cases) and composite/complex deformity group (the infants combined 2 or more deformities or other malformations, 24 cases). Twelve cases of healthy check-up infants were selected as control group. The levels of lymphocyte subsets (including CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, NK cell and B lymphocyte) and IgG, IgA, IgM were detected in every group. Results There were no statistical differences in IgG, IgA, IgM, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, NK cell and B lymphocyte among mild group, severe group and control group or single deformity group, composite/complex deformity group and control groups (P>0.05). The CD3+ in severe group was significantly lower than that in mild group and control group (0.59 ± 0.10 vs. 0.69 ± 0.13 and 0.69 ± 0.12), the CD4+ was significantly lower than that in control group (0.34 ± 0.07 vs. 0.45 ± 0.09), and there were statistical differences (P 0.05). The CD4+ in the composite/complex deformity group was significantly lower than that in the single deformity group and the control group (0.34 ± 0.07 vs. 0.45 ± 0.15 and 0.45 ± 0.09), and there was statistical difference (P<0.05). Conclusions In left-to-right shunt CHD infants combined with pneumonia,the reduction of CD3+ and CD4+ may be one of the causes of serious illness. Key words: Heart defects, congenital; Infant; Immunity