title: Circulating noradrenaline and beta-adrenergic receptors in children with congestive heart failure.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate changes in plasma catecholamine concentrations and the number of beta-adrenoceptors (beta-AR) of circulating lymphocyte in 94 noncyanotic congenital heart patients. In 43 patients with congestive heart failure, beta-AR density was significantly lower (p < 0.001) and plasma noradrenergic levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001) compared with corresponding values in 51 patients without heart failure. A significant negative correlation between lymphocyte beta-AR density and plasma noradrenergic levels was observed (r = -0.61, p < 0.001). The degree of left-to-right shunt and pulmonary pressure was correlated directly with noradrenaline level and inversely with lymphocyte beta-AR density. Both plasma noradrenaline level and lymphocyte beta-AR density return to normal in children with heart failure after surgical repair. Our results support the idea that changes in noradrenaline level and lymphocyte beta-adrenoceptor density occur concurrently with the presence and severity of heart failure in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine