The Myocardium in HLHS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Myocardium in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
IRAS ID
206302
Contact name
Bill Chaudhry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a severe heart abnormality occurring in 1 in 4000 babies where the main pumping chamber (left ventricle) and artery to the body (aorta) are severely underdeveloped. Several major operations are required in the first years of life and heart transplantation is often eventually required. It is usually identified during routine ultrasound scanning in pregnancy and many parents decide not to continue with the pregnancy. Whilst the left ventricle is very small the wall can either be relatively thin or alternatively very thick. The heart valves are usually affected. We do not know if the problem causing HLHS arises in the valves or the ventricles.
The purpose of this study is to identify whether abnormalities within the tissue of the left ventricle are the likely cause of HLHS or whether the thickening or thinning of the heart wall are in fact the expected responses that the heart muscle would make in the face of narrowed or blocked heart valves. To do this we wish to make use of anonymised samples of HLHS left ventricular tissue that have been obtained during post mortem examination after termination of pregnancy, to examine the composition of the tissue as well as gene expression.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0603
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion