Premature Birth Infants Present Elevated Inflammatory Markers in the Meconium

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Immunology

Background:

• Prematurity is a known risk factor for neonatal intestinal diseases, increasing morbidity and mortality.
• The intestinal inflammatory status of preterm infants remains poorly understood.
• This study broadly characterizes intestinal and systemic inflammation in preterm (PT) neonates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the intestinal and systemic inflammatory status of preterm infants.
• To investigate correlations between inflammatory markers, gestational age (GA), and birth weight (BW).
• To identify inflammatory differences between preterm and term infants.

Main Methods:

• Meconium and plasma samples were collected from 39 PT and 32 term (T) newborns.
• Measured fecal markers included calprotectin, polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase (PMN-E), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and alkaline phosphatase (AP).
• Assessed plasma levels of cytokines (TNF, IL-17A, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-1α), growth factors (NGF), adipokines (leptin, adiponectin), and other proteins (PAI-1, resistin).

Main Results:

• PT infants had increased meconium neutrophil markers (PMN-E, MPO, calprotectin) and decreased AP compared to T infants.
• Plasma IL-1β and NGF were elevated in PT infants, negatively correlated with BW.
• PT infants exhibited neutropenia, decreased adiponectin, leptin, hematocrit, and hemoglobin, positively correlated with GA and BW.

Conclusions:

• Preterm neonates exhibit elevated intestinal inflammation markers, primarily neutrophil-related.
• This intestinal inflammation is associated with mild systemic inflammation in preterm infants.
• Inflammatory markers and related parameters correlate with gestational age and birth weight.