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Association of proteins involved in fetal lung development with respiratory outcomes in infancy

Noëmi Künstle1, Olga Gorlanova2, Carla Rebeca Da Silva Sena3

  • 1University Children's Hospital Basel UKBB, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 33, 4031, Basel, Switzerland; Division of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 20, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.

Respiratory Medicine
|March 12, 2026
PubMed

Insights

In healthy infants, specific cord blood protein profiles were not clearly linked to respiratory symptoms or lung function. A trend suggested reduced lung function in infants with low vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) levels.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal respiratory health
  • Infant lung development
  • Biomarker discovery

Background:

  • Proteins involved in fetal lung development, tissue remodeling, and oxidative stress may influence infant lung function.
  • Understanding these protein associations can inform early identification of respiratory risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between cord blood protein profiles and lung function and respiratory symptoms in healthy infants.
  • To identify potential protein biomarkers for early respiratory health assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Hierarchical clustering of nine cord blood proteins (growth factors, metalloproteinases, autophagy markers) in 369 healthy infants.
  • Linear and negative binomial regression analyses to assess protein profiles' association with lung function (tPTEF/tE) and respiratory symptoms.

Main Results:

  • Four distinct protein profiles were identified: high growth factor, balanced, low VEGF-A, and low growth factor/metalloproteinase/autophagy markers.
  • The low VEGF-A profile showed a trend towards reduced time to peak expiratory flow to expiratory time (tPTEF/tE).
  • No significant associations were found between protein profiles and respiratory symptoms in the first year of life.

Conclusions:

  • No clear association between identified cord blood protein profiles and respiratory outcomes in healthy infants.
  • A trend of reduced lung function (tPTEF/tE) was observed with low VEGF-A levels, suggesting potential implications for impaired lung function.
  • These findings may be particularly relevant in high-risk infant populations (e.g., prematurity, maternal asthma).
Abstract

Keywords:
AutophagyInfantLung functionRemodelingRespiratory symptoms

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