Immunomodulatory mirnas as potential biomarkers for the postoperative course following surgery for the repair of congenital heart defects in children

Objective: To test the hypothesis that circulating miRNAs-146a,-146b,-155, and-21 reflect the inflammatory state of children following heart surgery, and that they may, therefore, correlate with postoperative parameters. We aimed to quantify miRNAs in blood samples from pediatric patients before and 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery and to evaluate correlations between the miRNA levels and the postoperative course. Setting: PICU. Patients: Forty-two pediatric patients with CHD who underwent cardiac surgery at Safra Children’s Hospital between 2012–2016. Interventions: none. Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes were the postoperative cardiac complications and the secondary outcomes were the length of hospitalization and more than two days of inotropic support. Results: TheincreaseinmiRNA-146aand-146b levels correlated with higher troponin, lower lactate, and lower C-reactive protein levels, as well as fewer days on inotropic support, and shorter hospital stay. Conclusions: The increases in the levels of circulating miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b after surgery for the repair of congenital heart defects are potential biomarkers for a better postoperative course in pediatric patients.