Serum chemokine levels and developmental outcome in preterm infants

Cytokines and chemokines during perinatal period may involve the neurological development of newborns.

We investigated the association of circulating chemokines during neonatal period with the outcome of premature infants.

The prospective study enrolled 29 very low birth weight (<1500 g) and appropriate-for-date infants having no underlying diseases. Serum concentrations of chemokines (CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CCL2) and cytokines at birth and 4 weeks postnatal age were measured. Developmental quotients (DQ) at 3 years of age by the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development were studied for the association with chemokine/cytokine levels and clinical variables including chorioamnionitis, Apgar scores, ventilator treatment and supplemental oxygen.

CXCL8 levels at birth and days of ventilator treatment were negatively, CCL2 levels at 4 weeks after birth and 5-minute Apgar scores were positively correlated with the DQ of postural-motor [P-M] area at 3 years of age, respectively (CXCL8: correlation coefficient [CC]=-0.394, p=0.037, ventilation: CC=-0.518, p=0.006, CCL2: CC=0.528, p=0.013, and Apgar score: CC=0.521, p=0.005). Infants showing both ≥50 pg/ml of CXCL8 at birth and <250 pg/ml of CCL2 4 weeks after birth had lower DQ of P-M than those who did not (p<0.001). Multivariate analyses indicated that CCL2 levels at 4 weeks of age were higher in infants who attained normal DQ of P-M (≥85) (adjusted mean, 338.4 [95% confidence interval, 225.5-507.8]) than in those who did not (<85) (159.0, [108.2-233.7]) (p=0.019).

Circulating patterns of CXCL8 (IL-8) and CCL2 (MCP-1) during the neonatal period might affect the neurological development of preterm infants.