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The development of blood protein profiles in extremely preterm infants follows a stereotypic evolution pattern

Wen Zhong1,2, Hanna Danielsson3,4, Nele Brusselaers3,5

  • 1Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.

Communications Medicine
|August 2, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Blood protein levels in preterm infants show predictable patterns related to postnatal age. This understanding of stereotypic protein development can inform neonatal care and clinical approaches.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Biochemistry
  • Proteomics

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a major cause of infant mortality and morbidity.
  • Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for extremely premature infants.
  • Understanding early development and prematurity-related disorders requires insight into blood protein profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate blood protein profiles in preterm infants during early extrauterine development.
  • To understand the role of postnatal age and gestational age in protein expression.
  • To identify patterns in blood protein evolution in extremely preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 1335 serum samples from 182 extremely preterm infants.
  • Longitudinal data collection at nine time points from birth to full-term.
  • Utilized next-generation blood profiling for protein level analysis.

Main Results:

  • Identified common, age-dependent serum protein evolution patterns in preterm infants.
  • Postnatal age was the primary factor influencing blood protein variation.
  • A uniform protein pattern was observed at birth and after 30 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), irrespective of gestational age (GA).
  • Gestational age significantly impacted protein variability within the first month of life.

Conclusions:

  • Blood protein development in preterm infants follows a stereotypic, age-dependent trajectory.
  • Findings suggest a unified pattern of protein maturation after birth.
  • This knowledge may influence clinical practices in neonatology, complementing the use of postmenstrual age (PMA).
Abstract

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