PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION IN INFANTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART-DEFECTS - ARELEUKOTRIENES INVOLVED

The circulating levels of leukotriene E-4 in infants with congenital h eart defects, increased pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary arterial hy pertension, were determined and compared with infants with decreased p ulmonary blood flow (Tetralogy of Fallot). There was no correlation (r = 0.38) between the pulmonary arterial pressure (56 +/- 4 mmHg) and t he leukotriene E-4 levels (1.37 +/- 0.67 ng/ml blood) measured in peri pheral blood samples from the hypertensive group prior to surgery. The re was considerable variation in the detectable leukotriene E-4 levels in blood samples from different patients, The levels detected in the blood samples between the two groups of patients was similar, These da ta suggest that neither the surgical repair during cardiopulmonary byp ass nor the pulmonary hypertension appeared to modify the leukotriene E-4 blood levels in the small number of patients studied.