Objective      To examine the levels of hemoglobin

mean corpuscular volume

serum iron and total iron-binding capacity and the distribution of iron in myocardium of infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease

and to explore the significance.       Methods      A total of 22 infants with cyanotic (n=10) and acyanotic (n=12) congenital heart disease admitted in our hospital from May 2011 to November 2011 were enrolled. Venous blood was collected for the determination of hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume

and serum iron and total iron-binding capacity were detected by ferrozine method. The right ventricular myocardium collected during operation was prepared for the detection of iron distribution in myocardium by Perls-DAB.       Results      Compared with the infants with acyanotic congenital heart disease

the infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease had higher levels of hemoglobin (P0.05)

mean corpuscular volume (P0.05) and total iron-binding capacity (69.59±5.8 vs 52.67±9.2 μmol/L

P0.01)

and a lower level of serum iron (23.25±4.4 vs 31.34±4.2 μmol/L

P0.01). The myocardial iron content was significantly higher and the myocardial iron distribution was more extensive in the infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease than in the infants with acyanotic congenital heart disease (P0.01).       Conclusion      Chronic hypoxia leads to a relative deficiency of iron storage in infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease

while the increase of iron content in myocardium may be an adaptive response of the heart to chronic hypoxia.