title: Heart morphology differences induced by intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth measured on the ECG at preadolescent age.
abstract: Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) and premature birth are associated with higher risk of cardiovascular diseases throughout adulthood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of these factors in ventricular electrical remodeling in preadolescents. Electrocardiography was performed in a cohort of 33-IUGR, 32-preterm with appropriate weight and 60 controls. Depolarization and repolarization processes were studied by means of the surface ECG, including loops and angles corresponding to QRS and T-waves. The angles between the dominant vector of QRS and the frontal plane XY were different among the study groups: controls [20.03°(10.11°-28.64°)], preterm [25.48°(19.79°-33.56°)], and IUGR [27.77°(16.59°-33.23°)]. When compared to controls, IUGR subjects also presented wider angles between the difference of QRS and T-wave dominant vectors and the XY-plane [5.28°±12.15° vs 0.49°±14.15°, p<0.05] while preterm ones showed smaller frontal QRS-T angle [4.68°(2.20°-12.89°) vs 6.57°(2.72°-11.31°), p<0.05]. Thus, electrical remodeling is present in IUGR and preterm preadolescents, and might predispose them to cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Follow-up studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: I.U. Matemática Pura y Aplicada, Universitat Politècnica de València Camino. de Vera s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: nuorar@upvnet.upv.es.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ortigosa
authors.affiliation: Fetal i+D Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospitals Clinic and Sant Joan de Deu). IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona (CIBER-ER).
authors.forename: Merida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Lopez
authors.affiliation: BSICoS Group, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), IIS Aragón. University of Zaragoza, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bailón
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, and University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Sebastian Imre
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Sarvari
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitges
authors.affiliation: Fetal i+D Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospitals Clinic and Sant Joan de Deu). IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona (CIBER-ER).
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gratacos
authors.affiliation: ICREA, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bijnens
authors.affiliation: Fetal i+D Medicine Research Center, BCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospitals Clinic and Sant Joan de Deu). IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona (CIBER-ER).
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crispi
authors.affiliation: BSICoS Group, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), IIS Aragón. University of Zaragoza, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laguna
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014672:Vectorcardiography / Q000379:methods*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
keywords: Intrauterine Growth Restriction; Premature birth; ventricular electrical remodeling