Author(s): Vidya G, Suma H Y, Vishnu Bhat B*, Gladwin V, Parkash Chand
DNA damage in relation to the commonly ascribed clinical profile among forty clinically/3D Doppler Echocardiogram diagnosed children with various types of congenital heart disease (CHD) was studied and compared with equal number of age and sex matched controls. Using Density Gradient Separation Technique, the lymphocytes were isolated from the whole blood with histopaque, followed by submarine gel electrophoresis in high alkaline buffer media targeting single tailed Comets was assessed. The anthropometric measurements of the children with congenital heart disease were comparable to the normal control children. While comparing the cyanotic with acyanotic heart disease, only the % DNA in tail in the cyanotic group was found statistically increased. There was a marginal increase in the DNA damage among the children suffering from various severity of illness (mild, moderate and severe) which was not statistically significant. Children with CHD have increased DNA damage and relatively more among those with cyanotic heart disease.