Hypospadias is a congenital malformation that occurs in 0.3-1% of live births, in which the meatus (the urethral opening) is dorsally malpositioned. Uncorrected hypospadias can cause difficulties in urination, abnormal sexual function, and adverse psychological consequences; surgical correction, though generally successful, constitutes an economic burden for families. Several common classes of pesticides have demonstrated potential to disrupt normal endocrine hormones that regulate fetal genitourinary development. Past epidemiologic studies of pesticide exposure and risk of hypospadias have been limited by limited available data, small sample sizes, or poor ascertainment of pesticide exposure. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between parental occupational pesticide exposure and risk of hypospadias in their offspring; and further, to assess whether addition of residential pesticide exposure data is feasible and contributes to overall pesticide exposure. We began by conducting a meta-analysis of the current literature, in which summary measures of occupation (such as census occupation code) had been used to assign pesticide exposure. We found elevated but marginally significant risks of hypospadias were associated with maternal occupational exposure (PRR of 1.36, CI = 1.04-1.77), and paternal occupational exposure (PRR of 1.19, CI= 1.00-1.41) in the previously published literature. We then used industrial hygienist review of occupational histories to estimate the relationship between pesticide exposure and risk of hypospadias. We found that maternal occupational exposure to any pesticides (yes/no) was not associated with an increased risk of hypospadias (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.6-1.1), cumulative insecticide (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 0.9- 1.3), herbicide (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.9- 1.2), or fungicide (OR = 0.91; 95% CI = 0.7-1.2) exposure. These negative findings might be explained by a lack of relationship at the low levels of exposure observed in this study population, in which case another farm exposure could be related to hypospadias; or this negative finding may be due to exposure misclassification. Finally, we evaluated the feasibility and relevance of collecting residential pesticide exposure and direct reports of occupational exposure from fathers. Residential pesticide use during the six months prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy was common among control mothers: 45% reported that their home had been treated for insect or rodent pests; 47% reported that their lawn or garden had been treated for weeds or insect pests; 16% used a lawn service; 26% reported that a pet had been treated for fleas, ticks, or mites (including flea and tick preventives); 17% reported community-wide sprayings for pests; and 16% reported that their workplaces were treated for pests. Case mothers were more likely to report that their home had been treated of insect or rodent pests (50%) or that a pet had been treated for fleas, ticks, or mites (36.5%). Our results suggest that collection of information on residential pesticide use is feasible, and the impact of residential pesticide use on birth defects risk should be assessed in future studies.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in humans throughout the world and “congenital heart defects” (CHDs) are the major cause of infant mortality and morbidity. GATA4 is one of the most critical and intensely studied cardiac transcription factor. It is important for proliferation of cardiomyocytes as well as their survival and adaptive response. The focus of the following thesis was to identify GATA4 mediators and cofactors in cardiac growth. The first part focused on cyclin D2 (CycD2), a growth inducible cell cycle protein. We identified Ccnd2 (gene encoding CycD2) as a direct transcriptional target of GATA4 in postnatal cardiomyocytes and Ccnd2 cardiomyocyte specific overexpression in Gata4 heterozygote mice was able to rescue their heart size and function. We further uncovered a novel regulatory loop between GATA4 and CycD2. CycD2 enhanced GATA4 activation of its target promoters. GATA4 was able to physically interact with CycD2 and its cyclin dependent kinase CDK4 suggesting that GATA4 recruits CycD2/CDK4 to its target promoters. Together, our data uncover a role of CycD2 in the developing and postnatal heart and provide novel insight for the potential of targeting the cell cycle in cardiac therapy. The second part of the project focused on KLF13, a cell specific cofactor of GATA4. KLF13 is a member of the Krϋppel-like transcription factors that are important regulators of cell proliferation and differentiation. Klf13 is highly enriched in the developing heart where it is found in both myocardial and endocardial cells. To determine its role in the mammalian heart, we deleted the Klf13 gene in transgenic mice. Klf13-/- mice were born at 50% reduced frequency and presented with variable cardiac phenotypes. Epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) was affected in these mice and reduced cell proliferation was evident in the AV cushion. These data uncover a role for a new class of transcription factors in heart formation and point to KLF13 as a regulator of endocardial cell proliferation and a potential CHD causing gene. Future discovery of more cardiac regulators and understanding the molecular basis of CHDs is essential for preventions of these defects and possible development of therapeutic approaches for myocardial repair.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (Daam1), a member of the formin protein family, has been implicated in the non-canonical Wnt mediated Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) signaling pathway. Although the studies in Drosophila Daam1 and Xenopus Daam1 generated inconsistent conclusions regarding the function of Daam1, the biological function of mammalian Daam1 was not evaluated. In this study, we used a mouse promoter trap technology to create Daam1 deficient mice to analyze the role of Daam1 in embryonic development and organogenesis. Daam1 is highly expressed in the developing heart. The majority of Daam1 mutant mice died between embryonic day 14.5 and birth, exhibiting a variety of heart defects, which include ventricular noncompaction, ventricular septal defects, and double outlet right ventricle. About 10% mutant mice survive to adulthood, and these survivors do not show significantly compromised heart function based on echocardiographic analyses. However, all of these mutant survivors have ventricular noncompaction with a range of severities. A conditional rescue experiment using a cardiac specific Cre mouse line, Nkx2-5Cre, confirmed that the cardiac defects are the primary cause of death in Daam1 mutants. Both in vivo and ex vivo analyses revealed that Daam1 is essential for regulating non-sarcomeric filamentous actin assembly in cardiomyocytes, which likely contributes to cardiac morphogenesis and ventricular wall maturation. Biochemical studies further suggested that Daam1 is not a key signaling component in regulating the activation of small GTPases, such as RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42. In conclusion, our studies demonstrated that Daam1 is essential for cardiac morphogenesis likely through its regulation of cytoskeletal architecture in the developing cardiomyocytes. / indefinitely

No description available.

No description available.

Background: The primary aim of this study was to examine selected maternal risk factors (i.e. maternal cigarette smoking prior to or during pregnancy, maternal age, and pre-pregnancy obesity) and the risk of congenital heart defects (CHD). We hypothesized that maternal cigarette smoking prior to or during pregnancy, increased maternal age, and obesity are maternal risk factors associated with an increased risk of CHD. The secondary aim was to examine the trend of CHD among residents of Philadelphia from 2003-2013. Methods: We examined de-identified PA birth certificate records from 2003-2013 and found 213 confirmed cases of CHD. A random sample of 5 controls per case were selected to produce a more balanced design given the small number of cases, resulting in a total number of 1293 subjects. Randomly selected controls reflected all pregnancies that did not result in a heart defect. We modeled the independent association between the selected risk factors and CHD using logistic regression. Results: Findings suggest a role of maternal race and age related to CHD risk. Black mothers were less likely than white mothers to experience a CHD (OR=0.692; 95% CI, 0.493-0.971). Young mothers (< 20) were more likely to experience a CHD compared to women over 20 years old (OR=1.536; 95% CI, 0.270-1.062). A link between CHD and obesity and smoking were not found. The trend analysis showed a small, positive linear association among race and CHD cases overall. Clinical Relevance: We provided further evidence that maternal age and race are risk factors for CHD. The prevalence of congenital heart defects is increasing among Philadelphia residents. These findings could be a result of better diagnosis and reporting, but the increase may also be due to other risk factors in the population. These findings may have implications for further and more aggressive counseling before and during pregnancy. / Public Health

Avaliou-se a arquitetura do sono e distúrbios respiratórios do sono (DRS) em crianças (6 a 12 meses) portadoras de doenças cardíacas congênitas (DCC) sem (DCC-NH) e com presença hipoxemia (DCC-H) durante a vigília. Foram estudadas 21 crianças através de polissonografia noturna (7 DCC-NH, 7 DCC-H e 7 controles). O índice de distúrbios respiratórios (eventos/hora de sono) foi de 2,2, 2,5 e 0,7 nos grupos DCC-NH, DCC-H e controle, respectivamente, p < 0,05. A saturação de oxigênio mínima foi de 79%, 73% e 90% nos grupos DCC-NH, DCC-H e controle, respetivamente, p < 0,05. Apesar do alto índice de DRS nas crianças com DCC, a arquitetura do sono mostrou-se preservada / This study has investigated the sleep architecture and sleep breathing disorders (SBD) in infants (6 to 12 months) with congenital cardiac disease (CCD). Nocturnal polysomnography was performed in 21 infants: 7 non-hypoxemic, 7 hypoxemic and 7 healthy infants (control group). The respiratory disturbance index (events/hour) was 2.2, 2.5 and 0.7 in the non-hypoxemic, hypoxemic and control group (p < 0.05). The minimum oxygen saturation was 79% for the non-hypoxemic group, 73% for the hypoxemic group and 90% for the control group. Despite the high respiratory disturbance index the sleep architecture was preserved in infants with CCD

Submitted by Fabíola Silva (fabiola.silva@famerp.br) on 2018-02-15T12:46:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 marianafernandadossantos_dissert.pdf: 1735247 bytes, checksum: 1bde0ab992e930a0190504964f47726e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-15T12:46:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 marianafernandadossantos_dissert.pdf: 1735247 bytes, checksum: 1bde0ab992e930a0190504964f47726e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-01 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP / Introduction: Congenital heart defects (CHD) are present in approximately 40 to 60% of individuals with Down syndrome (DS). It is the leading cause of death in the first years of life in individuals with the syndrome. Polymorphisms in maternal and fetal genes encoding enzymes involved in folate metabolism have been associated with the development of congenital heart defects. Objectives: To assess if the presence of polymorphism (MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049, hsa-mir-149 rs2292832, MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, MTHFR T1317C, MTR A2756G, MTRR A66G, SLC19A1 A80G, TC2 A67G, TC2 C776G, CßS 844ins68, CßS T833C, MTHFD1 G1958A, BHMT G742A, DHFR del 19 pb, and SHMT C1420T) in individuals with DS is associated with the occurrence of CHD in these individuals. We also evaluated the association between maternal genetic polymorphisms MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049 and hsa-mir-149 rs2292832, and the presence of CHD in offspring with DS. Methods: This study included 139 individuals (80 individuals with DS and CHD, and 59 control subjects with DS without congenital heart disease). Molecular analysis of MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049 and hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 was carried out by real time polymerase chain reaction allelic discrimination. Genotyping data of MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, MTHFR T1317C, MTR A2756G, MTRR A66G, SLC19A1 A80G, TC2 A67G, TC2 C776G, CßS 844ins68, CßS T833C, MTHFD1 G1958A, BHMT G742A, DHFR del 19 pb, and SHMT C1420T were obtained from database of previous studies of the research group and also used to assess the risk for the occurrence of CHD in this study. Multiple logistic regression analyzes were performed to assess the risk of CHD in the presence of 17 polymorphisms in dominant and recessive genetic models. The median number of mutant alleles between groups was assessed by the Mann-Whitney test. Genotypic combination analysis was performed for the polymorphisms MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049, and hsa-mir-149 rs2292832, using Fisher's exact test, dominant model. Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis involving individuals with DS showed no association between 17 polymorphisms and the risk for CHD. The median number of polymorphic alleles did not differ among individuals with DS with and without CHD. On the other hand, the maternal genotypes hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 CT or TT were associated with reduced risk for isolated heart disease in the offspring (OR = 0,31; 95% CI = 0,13 to 0,72; P = 0,0063). The analysis of genotypic combinations of MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049, and hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 in individuals with DS, and their mothers showed no association between the different combinations and the risk for congenital heart disease. Conclusions: There is no evidence of association between the polymorphisms analyzed in individuals with DS and the occurrence of CHD. However, a lower risk of isolated congenital heart disease for individuals with DS is observed in the presence of maternal genotypes hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 CT or TT. / Introdução: Defeitos cardíacos congênitos (DCC) estão presentes em aproximadamente 40 a 60% dos indivíduos com a síndrome de Down (SD) e representam a principal causa de morte nos primeiros anos de vida em indivíduos com a síndrome. Polimorfismos em genes maternos e fetais, que codificam enzimas envolvidas no metabolismo do folato, têm sido associados com o desenvolvimento de cardiopatias congênitas. Objetivos: Avaliar se a presença dos polimorfismos MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049, hsa-mir-149 rs2292832, MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, MTHFR T1317C, MTR A2756G, MTRR A66G, SLC19A1 A80G, TC2 A67G, TC2 C776G, CßS 844ins68, CßS T833C, MTHFD1 G1958A, BHMT G742A, DHFR del 19 pb, SHMT C1420T em indivíduos com SD está associada com a ocorrência de DCC nesses indivíduos. Também foi avaliada a associação entre os polimorfismos genéticos maternos MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049 e hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 e a presença de DCC na prole com SD. Casuística e Método: Este estudo incluiu 139 indivíduos (80 indivíduos com SD e DCC e 59 indivíduos controles com SD, sem cardiopatia congênita). A análise molecular dos polimorfismos MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049 e hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 foi realizada pelo método discriminação alélica por meio de reação em cadeia da polimerase em tempo real. Os dados da genotipagem dos polimorfismos MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, MTHFR T1317C, MTR A2756G, MTRR A66G, SLC19A1 A80G, TC2 A67G, TC2 C776G, CßS 844ins68, CßS T833C, MTHFD1 G1958A, BHMT G742A, DHFR del 19 pb, SHMT C1420T foram obtidos de banco de dados de trabalhos previamente publicados pelo grupo de pesquisa e utilizados para avaliar o risco para a ocorrência de DCC no presente estudo. Análises de regressão logística múltipla foram realizadas para avaliar o risco de DCC na presença dos 17 polimorfismos nos modelos genéticos dominante e recessivo. A mediana do número de alelos mutantes entre os grupos foi avaliada pelo teste de Mann-Whitney. Análise de combinação genotípica foi realizada para os polimorfismos MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049 e hsa-mir-149 rs2292832, utilizando o teste exato de Fisher, no modelo dominante. Resultados: As análises de regressão logística múltipla, envolvendo os indivíduos com SD, não evidenciaram associação entre os 17 polimorfismos e o risco para DCC. A mediana do número de alelos polimórficos também não diferiu entre os indivíduos com SD com e sem DCC. Por outro lado, os genótipos maternos hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 CT ou TT foram associados ao risco reduzido para cardiopatia isolada na prole com SD (OR = 0,31; IC 95% = 0,13-0,72; P = 0,0063). A análise das combinações genotípicas dos polimorfismos MTHFR rs4846048, MTHFR rs4846049 e hsa-mir-149 rs2292832, nos indivíduos com SD e nas suas mães, não mostrou associação entre as diferentes combinações e o risco para cardiopatia congênita. Conclusões: Na casuística avaliada não há evidências de associação entre os polimorfismos analisados em indivíduos com SD e a ocorrência de DCC; entretanto um menor risco de cardiopatia congênita isolada para os indivíduos com SD é observado na presença dos genótipos maternos hsa-mir-149 rs2292832 CT ou TT.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Os cuidados de enfermagem para crianÃas com cardiopatia congÃnita devem ser estabelecidos e executados tÃo logo se suspeite do diagnÃstico de defeito cardÃaco congÃnito, voltados sempre para a detecÃÃo precoce de sinais de descompensaÃÃo e manutenÃÃo de condiÃÃes Ãtimas para a cirurgia. Objetivou-se caracterizar o quadro de diagnÃsticos de enfermagem apresentados por crianÃas com cardiopatias congÃnitas. Estudo de natureza observacional, longitudinal desenvolvido nos meses de julho a novembro de 2004. A amostra foi composta por 45 crianÃas internadas em um hospital da rede pÃblica do municÃpio de Fortaleza-CearÃ. Para a coleta, foram utilizados entrevista e exame clÃnico de enfermagem. As crianÃas foram acompanhadas durante quinze dias de internamento desde a data de sua admissÃo. No perÃodo efetivaram-se seis avaliaÃÃes diagnÃsticas com intervalo de 48 horas. O processo de elaboraÃÃo e inferÃncia dos diagnÃsticos e problemas colaborativos seguiu as etapas de coleta, interpretaÃÃo / agrupamento das informaÃÃes e nomeaÃÃo de categorias. Foram encontrados 22 diagnÃsticos de enfermagem, 34 fatores relacionados e 13 problemas colaborativos diferentes nas 270 avaliaÃÃes realizadas. Observou-se associaÃÃo estatisticamente significante entre os diagnÃsticos Troca de gases prejudicada, PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade, Crescimento e desenvolvimento retardados e PerfusÃo tissular ineficaz. Estes diagnÃsticos apresentaram associaÃÃo com os fatores relacionados: DesequilÃbrio da ventilaÃÃo-perfusÃo, HiperventilaÃÃo, ReduÃÃo mecÃnica do fluxo sangÃÃneo, SecreÃÃes brÃnquicas e SecreÃÃes retidas. Os diagnÃsticos IntolerÃncia à atividade e Crescimento e desenvolvimento retardados mostraram associaÃÃo com o sexo feminino. Nos diagnÃsticos Troca de gases prejudicada, PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade, Crescimento e desenvolvimento retardados e DÃbito cardÃaco diminuÃdo, identificaram-se diferenÃas de mÃdia de sobrevida entre crianÃas atà 4 meses e acima de 4 meses. Os diagnÃsticos Troca de gases prejudicada, PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade e Risco para infecÃÃo ocorreram precocemente no perÃodo de internamento. Entre os diagnÃsticos, seis evidenciaram maiores oscilaÃÃes em suas trajetÃrias de ocorrÃncia no tempo: PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade, DesobstruÃÃo ineficaz das vias aÃreas, Hipertermia, PadrÃo de sono perturbado e Risco para intolerÃncia à atividade. Foram construÃdos cinco modelos paramÃtricos no domÃnio tempo, com vistas a predizer a ocorrÃncia desses diagnÃsticos de enfermagem. O ajustamento das equaÃÃes para os diagnÃsticos PadrÃo de sono perturbado e Hipertermia denotou grande dispersÃo entre os dados e a linha de tendÃncia, indicando que, alÃm do tempo, outras variÃveis determinam a proporÃÃo de crianÃas que manifestarÃo esses diagnÃsticos. Considera-se a importÃncia de se realizar pesquisas de caracterizaÃÃo do quadro de diagnÃsticos para determinaÃÃo das necessidades de assistÃncia de enfermagem à crianÃa cardiopata. O conhecimento da evoluÃÃo temporal das respostas do indivÃduo pode direcionar os cuidados de enfermagem para as reais necessidades do cliente, facilitando, assim, a escolha de intervenÃÃes mais adequadas.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Os cuidados de enfermagem para crianÃas com cardiopatia congÃnita devem ser estabelecidos e executados tÃo logo se suspeite do diagnÃstico de defeito cardÃaco congÃnito, voltados sempre para a detecÃÃo precoce de sinais de descompensaÃÃo e manutenÃÃo de condiÃÃes Ãtimas para a cirurgia. Objetivou-se caracterizar o quadro de diagnÃsticos de enfermagem apresentados por crianÃas com cardiopatias congÃnitas. Estudo de natureza observacional, longitudinal desenvolvido nos meses de julho a novembro de 2004. A amostra foi composta por 45 crianÃas internadas em um hospital da rede pÃblica do municÃpio de Fortaleza-CearÃ. Para a coleta, foram utilizados entrevista e exame clÃnico de enfermagem. As crianÃas foram acompanhadas durante quinze dias de internamento desde a data de sua admissÃo. No perÃodo efetivaram-se seis avaliaÃÃes diagnÃsticas com intervalo de 48 horas. O processo de elaboraÃÃo e inferÃncia dos diagnÃsticos e problemas colaborativos seguiu as etapas de coleta, interpretaÃÃo / agrupamento das informaÃÃes e nomeaÃÃo de categorias. Foram encontrados 22 diagnÃsticos de enfermagem, 34 fatores relacionados e 13 problemas colaborativos diferentes nas 270 avaliaÃÃes realizadas. Observou-se associaÃÃo estatisticamente significante entre os diagnÃsticos Troca de gases prejudicada, PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade, Crescimento e desenvolvimento retardados e PerfusÃo tissular ineficaz. Estes diagnÃsticos apresentaram associaÃÃo com os fatores relacionados: DesequilÃbrio da ventilaÃÃo-perfusÃo, HiperventilaÃÃo, ReduÃÃo mecÃnica do fluxo sangÃÃneo, SecreÃÃes brÃnquicas e SecreÃÃes retidas. Os diagnÃsticos IntolerÃncia à atividade e Crescimento e desenvolvimento retardados mostraram associaÃÃo com o sexo feminino. Nos diagnÃsticos Troca de gases prejudicada, PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade, Crescimento e desenvolvimento retardados e DÃbito cardÃaco diminuÃdo, identificaram-se diferenÃas de mÃdia de sobrevida entre crianÃas atà 4 meses e acima de 4 meses. Os diagnÃsticos Troca de gases prejudicada, PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade e Risco para infecÃÃo ocorreram precocemente no perÃodo de internamento. Entre os diagnÃsticos, seis evidenciaram maiores oscilaÃÃes em suas trajetÃrias de ocorrÃncia no tempo: PadrÃo respiratÃrio ineficaz, IntolerÃncia à atividade, DesobstruÃÃo ineficaz das vias aÃreas, Hipertermia, PadrÃo de sono perturbado e Risco para intolerÃncia à atividade. Foram construÃdos cinco modelos paramÃtricos no domÃnio tempo, com vistas a predizer a ocorrÃncia desses diagnÃsticos de enfermagem. O ajustamento das equaÃÃes para os diagnÃsticos PadrÃo de sono perturbado e Hipertermia denotou grande dispersÃo entre os dados e a linha de tendÃncia, indicando que, alÃm do tempo, outras variÃveis determinam a proporÃÃo de crianÃas que manifestarÃo esses diagnÃsticos. Considera-se a importÃncia de se realizar pesquisas de caracterizaÃÃo do quadro de diagnÃsticos para determinaÃÃo das necessidades de assistÃncia de enfermagem à crianÃa cardiopata. O conhecimento da evoluÃÃo temporal das respostas do indivÃduo pode direcionar os cuidados de enfermagem para as reais necessidades do cliente, facilitando, assim, a escolha de intervenÃÃes mais adequadas