AIM: To investigate the downstream genes of the transcriptional factor Pax-8 related to cardiopathy. METHODS: The total RNA derived from the heart of Pax-8 KO~(-/-) and Pax-8 KO~(+/-) mice was extracted. Mouse genome DNA microarray containing 31 802 mouse oligonucleotides probes was used to investigate the differential expression between the Pax-8 KO~(-/-) and the Pax-8 KO~(+/-) mice hearts. The candidate genes were confirmed by RT-PCR and real time RT-PCR assay. RESULTS: Microarray results showed that, compared to the Pax-8 KO~(+/-) mice, 25 genes were down-regulated and 17 were up-regulated in the Pax-8 KO~(-/-) mice, concerning metabolize enzymes, cell signal conducting and nuclear transcript factors and so on. Bcl2-like 14 (Bcl2l14) was proved to be up-regulated by RT-PCR. Real time RT-PCR results revealed that Bcl2l14 in the Pax-8 KO~(-/-) mice was 2.07 and 2.23 fold as much as that in the Pax-8 KO~(+/-) and the Pax-8KO~(+/+) mice (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The Bcl2l14 gene is one of the downstream genes of Pax-8 and probably plays an important role in the mechanism of ventricular septum defect.

Objective To study the expression of plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in children with acute phase Kawasaki disease (KD), and investigate its value for early prediction of coronary artery lesions in KD. Methods Totally 80 children with KD were collected. Children were divided into four groups by the results of echocardiogram of coronary artery in different periods: CAL1 group (children with coronary artery lesions (CAL+) both in acute and sub-acute phase, 8 cases), CAL2 group (children with CAL+in acute phase but recovery normal (CAL-) in sub-acute phase, 10 cases), NCAL1 group (children with CAL-in acute phase but occur CAL+ in sub-acute phase, 10 cases) and NCAL2 group (children with CAL- both in acute and sub-acute phase, 52 cases). The serum samples (before the use of intravenous immunoglobulin) were collected in acute phase. Twenty healthy controls and twenty fever controls were enrolled into the study, and their serum samples were collected. OxLDL was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). They were compared using ANOVA, pairwise comparison LSD-t test. And ROC curve analysis was used to determine the threshold. Results Compared with the control groups,plasma oxLDL levels were higher in children with KD, both CA+and CAL-[(15.0±3.3) mU/L, (12.3±3.5) mU/L vs (9.2±2.2) mU/L, (8.0±2.3) mU/L, F=20.435, P<0.05]. Plasma oxLDL levels were increased more significantly in children with CAL+ than children with CAL- in KD [(15.0 ±3.3) mU/L vs (12.3 ±3.5) mU/L, t=2.28, P=0.002]. There was significant difference in the concentration of oxLDL between the groups of Kawasaki disease (F=5.068, P=0.003). Plasma oxLDL levels were significantly higher in the NCAL1 group than those in the NCAL2 group [(14.5 ±3.8) mU/L vs (11.9±3.3) mU/L, t=2.29, P=0.02], but there were no statistically significant difference between the NCAL1 group and CAL1 or CAL2 group [(14.5±3.8) mU/L vs (15.9±3.9) mU/L, (14.5±3.8) mU/L vs (14.2±2.7) mU/L, t=0.73, 0.20;P=0.41, 0.84]. ROCs analysis indicated that oxLDL≥13.83 mU/L, could be the threshold for the prediction of coronary artery lesions with the sensitivity of 0.607 and a specificity of 0.75. Conclusion OxLDL plays an important role in coronary artery lesions in KD. The coronary endothelial dysfunction is earlier than coronary dilatation, and oxLDL is expected to become a reliable early predictor of coronary artery lesions in KD.