Systemic inflammation on postnatal days 21 and 28 and indicators of brain dysfunction 2years later among children born before the 28th week of gestation

Alan Leviton, Elizabeth N Allred, Raina N Fichorova, Karl C K Kuban, T Michael O’Shea, Olaf Dammann, ELGAN study investigators

Early Hum Dev. 2015 Dec 28;93:25-32.

PubMed Link

We measured the concentrations of 16 inflammation-related proteins in blood spots collected on postnatal days 21 (N=749) & 28 (N=697) from ELGAN Study infants. Top quartile concentrations of CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-6R, TNF-R2, IL-8, ICAM-1, and TSH on both days 21 and 28 were associated with neonatal VMeg and MC at 2yrs. Top quartile concentrations of CRP, SAA, IL-6, TNF-R2, IL-8, and ICAM-1 were associated with MDI<55, while top quartile concentrations of CRP, TNF-α (inversely), IL-8, and ICAM-1 were associated with PDI<55. Systemic inflammation during third and fourth postnatal weeks increased risk of VM and MC, and low Bayley Scale scores.