Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
08:50

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development

Published on: June 24, 2020

Temporal Relationships Between Systemic Inflammatory Markers and Urinary I-FABP in Preterm Infants: Evidence that

Noura El Habbal1, Evgenia Jen Filatava2, Samer Charbaji3

  • 1Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, School of Health Professions, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA.

Biological Research for Nursing
|June 11, 2026
PubMed

Insights

This study in preterm infants found that intestinal inflammation, measured by urinary intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), is linked to systemic inflammation and may precede it. These findings offer insights into neonatal immune responses.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Immunology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Inflammation Research

Background:

  • Preterm infants have abnormal inflammatory responses, with unclear links between intestinal and systemic inflammation.
  • Understanding these inflammatory pathways is crucial for improving neonatal care and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association and temporal relationship between intestinal and systemic inflammation in preterm infants.
  • To analyze longitudinal trends of inflammatory markers over the first 20 weeks of life.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational study of 74 preterm infants (<34 weeks gestation).
  • Collected urine and blood samples between 1-20 weeks of life.
  • Measured urinary intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) for intestinal inflammation and CRP, ICAM-1, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 for systemic inflammation.
  • Utilized linear mixed-effects models to assess concurrent and lagged associations.

Main Results:

  • Longitudinal analyses showed decreasing trends in I-FABP, IL-6, and IL-8, and increasing trends in ICAM-1 over time.
  • Urinary I-FABP was concurrently associated with most systemic inflammatory markers (except CRP).
  • Lagged analysis indicated that elevated I-FABP levels one week prior were significantly associated with increased ICAM-1, IL-1β, and IL-8, suggesting intestinal inflammation precedes systemic inflammation.

Conclusions:

  • Significant associations exist between intestinal inflammation (urinary I-FABP) and systemic inflammatory markers in preterm infants.
  • Findings suggest a potential temporal progression from intestinal to systemic inflammation.
  • This provides novel insights into inflammatory dynamics and immune responses in this vulnerable population.

Keywords:
biomarkersc-reactive proteinchemokinescytokinesimmune markersinflammationintercellular adhesion molecule 1intestinal fatty acid-binding proteinspremature birthpreterm infants

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