Cardiac functions and aortic elasticity in children with inflammatory bowel disease: effect of age at disease onset

Abstract

Aim:Childhood onset inflammatory bowel disease is more aggressive and has rapidly progressive clinical course than adult inflammatory bowel disease. Early-onset inflammatory bowel disease has more severe clinical progression as a subspecialised group of monogenic inflammatory bowel disease. We studied cardiac functions and aortic elasticity in children with early- and late-onset inflammatory bowel disease in remission period.Methods:Thirty-three paediatric patients were divided into subgroups according to age of disease onset (<10 and >10 years of age). Twenty-five healthy children were admitted as control group. M-Mode echocardiography and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography were performed. Strain, distensibility, stiffness index of ascending, and abdominal aorta were evaluated.Results:Interventricular septum (mm) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter were higher (6.9 ± 1.2, 26.2 ± 4.6) in early-onset inflammatory bowel disease patients than control patients (6.1 ± 1.27, 22.7 ± 4.12) (p = 0.050, p = 0.050). Mitral E/E′ ratio and myocardial performance index were increased in inflammatory bowel disease and early-onset inflammatory bowel disease groups than control group (p = 0.046, p = 0.04; p = 0.023, p = 0.033). Diastolic functions were found to be impaired in inflammatory bowel disease and early-onset inflammatory bowel disease groups according to control group, while there was no difference between late-onset inflammatory bowel disease and control groups in terms of diastolic functions. Mitral E/A ratio was lower in inflammatory bowel disease patients and early-onset inflammatory bowel disease patients (1.46 ± 0.32, 1.4 ± 0.21) than control patients (1.70 ± 0.27) (p = 0.013, p = 0.004). Aortic elasticity did not differ between groups.Conclusion:Chronic low-grade inflammation has effects on left ventricular diameters and diastolic function in remission period. Aortic elasticity is not affected in our study groups.

Contribution of Blood Vessel Activation, Remodeling and Barrier Function to Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

“…During IBD, local endothelial dysfunction, which can spread into systemic vascular barrier defects, might also promote generalized vascular inflammation. There is evidence linking IBD with atherosclerosis, coronary dysfunction, and an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality [ 242 , 243 , 244 , 245 , 246 , 247 , 248 ]. Furthermore, IBD patients have an elevated risk of vasculitis, which is linked to more frequent headaches and extraintestinal symptoms [ 249 , 250 ].…”