title: Developmental pattern of urinary epidermal growth factor in the premature infant and the influence of gender.
abstract: We report the cross-sectional pattern of first day urinary epidermal growth factor/creatinine (EGF/Cr) levels in 159 appropriate for gestational age infants born at 26-41 weeks gestation. EGF/Cr levels rose significantly earlier in female infants than levels in male infants. In female infants levels were similar to term levels beginning at 30-32 weeks. Mean EGF/Cr levels in male infants were similar to term values beginning at 32-34 weeks. We could not demonstrate any influence from acute perinatal events on EGF/Cr levels. In a subset of 28 infants, a weekly longitudinal study of urinary EGF/Cr levels was undertaken. The urinary EGF/Cr pattern correlated significantly with both corrected gestational and postnatal ages. A significant change in the EGF/Cr pattern was observed at a corrected gestational age of 32 weeks and at 4 weeks postnatal age. There was no significant difference in EGF/Cr levels between males and females. Our results demonstrated a significant difference in first day urinary EGF/Cr levels between female and male preterm infants during the early third trimester. This difference was seen at a time in gestation when other gender-specific maturational and growth differences are noted. When infants born at less than 32 weeks gestational age were followed longitudinally, the urinary EGF/Cr pattern, when expressed by corrected gestational age, was significantly modified from that in the cross-sectional study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of New Mexico, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87131.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Guardian
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelus
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Backstrom
mesh_terms: D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D003404:Creatinine