title: Serum concentrations of 10 acute-phase proteins in healthy term and preterm infants from birth to age 6 months.
abstract: Aiming to define the evolution pattern of 10 acute-phase proteins in early infancy, we measured nephelometrically the serum concentrations of albumin, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein, transferrin, ceruloplasmin, hemopexin, haptoglobin, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, alpha 2-macroglobulin, and alpha 1-antitrypsin in 395 term and preterm infants (gestational ages 26-41 weeks). Measurements were performed within 24 h after birth and then at the end of 1 (n = 171), 3 (n = 155), and 6 (n = 90) months afterwards. Data obtained from 250 healthy adults were used as adult reference values. All proteins increased progressively with postnatal age, except for alpha 1-antitrypsin, which remained stable from birth to the 6th month. Concentrations of almost all measured proteins were significantly lower in preterm than in term infants in the first 3 months. Compared with adult values, alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 1-antitrypsin were higher in infants throughout the 6 months. The other proteins were significantly lower at birth than adult values but after 6 months, only albumin, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein, and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein still remained lower in infants. Thus both gestational and postnatal age should be considered when interpreting concentrations of these proteins in early infancy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kanakoudi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drossou
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tzimouli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Diamanti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konstantinidis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Germenis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kremenopoulos
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D009961:Orosomucoid; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D002570:Ceruloplasmin