Polymorphonuclear leukocyte functions in children with cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease.

Eighteen cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) and 17 acyanotic congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients in the age range of 2 months to 10 years along with their age and nutrition matched controls were studied for bactericidal, chemotactic and phagocytic functions. Bactericidal and phagocytic functions were significantly depressed in CCHD (p < 0.001) as well as ACHD group (p < 0.001) compared with controls. Chemotactic function was not significantly affected in either. Arterial oxygen content (as a measure of hypoxia) was calculated for each patient and correlated with each immune parameter by univariate linear regression analysis. In CCHD patients linear correlation of borderline significance (p = 0.07) was found between arterial oxygen content and bactericidal activity, but no correlation could be established with phagocytic and chemotactic functions. No correlation was obtained between hematocrit and any of the immune parameters. In ACHD patients no correlations were obtained between the immune parameters and arterial oxygen content or hematocrit. Iron deficiency anemia, known to affect bactericidal function, did not seem to affect the immune parameters in CCHD and ACHD groups. Altered oxygen content of the blood owing to hypoxia in CCHD patients may be an important etiological factor in the genesis of bacteremia and cerebral abscess. The affection of immune functions in ACHD cannot be adequately explained.