Imbalance of Fetal Growth Factor Levels in Congenital Heart Disease Pathology: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a factor that is responsible for cell proliferation, growth of vascular endothelial cells, and angiogenesis. Changes in the level of this factor are associated with the pathology of structural disorders such as CHD. This systematic study assesses previous studies in order to find the VEGF influences on congenital heart disorders.

METHOD: This systematic review was written based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, and the principle of non-bias was respected. All the articles from 2014 to 2024 were extracted from Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases. We investigated the role of VEGF in the pathology of cardiovascular structural disorders, the therapeutic and diagnostic effects of VEGF, and related factors that are influenced by this factor.

RESULTS

Studies assessed based on PRISMA search steps and 22 were included in our study. Any disturbance in the production and functioning of VEGF is known as a genetic disorder in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). VEGF caused abnormal elongation of the heart tubes, as well as disproportionate growth of cardiovascular tissue just before full formation. The increase of Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) with the increase of VEGF function precedes the development of the fetal heart. HIF also mediates endothelial formation through endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS); HIF in children with cyanotic CHD (CCHD) and acyanotic CHD (ACHD) is significantly higher than in the control group, and its value is higher in complex CHD children than in the other groups. EGFR, inducible NOS (iNOS), and ET-1 were more in ACHD than in CCHD, and their amounts showed a positive correlation with HIF.

CONCLUSION

The increase in the level of VEGF and HIF before the completion of the heart tissue is the main cause of CHD pathology; after the completion of the heart tissue, these factors help in the regeneration of the heart tissue. The regulation of VEGF and HIF levels during the fetal period is of great importance for the diagnosis and pathological aspect of CHD.