title: Beta-nerve growth factor levels in newborn cord sera.
abstract: This study was designed to examine beta-nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in human cord blood by a two-site enzyme immunoassay using MAb 27/21 to mouse NGF and to determine whether beta-NGF levels show developmental changes. Blood was collected at delivery from 61 newborns, 55 neonates appropriate for gestational age (46 term infants and 9 premature infants), 5 neonates small for gestational age, and 1 neonate with congenital hydrocephalus. In addition, samples were collected from 2 microcephalic children (microcephaly vera) aged 15 and 18 mo, 2 control children, and 4 healthy adults. Mean levels of NGF in preterm infants (n = 9; 13.7 +/- 8 pg/mL) were significantly lower than levels in term infants (n = 47; 21.2 +/- 8.8 pg/mL; p = 0.034 by Mann-Whitney U test). There was no correlation between birth weight, length, head circumference, and beta-NGF levels. In microcephalic children, NGF levels were low (8 pg/mL) compared with control infants' values (22 pg/mL). In adults, beta-NGF levels were higher and ranged between 238 and 292 pg/mL. Our study demonstrates that beta-NGF levels can be assessed in human newborn sera using a two-site enzyme immunoassay with MAb 27/21 to mouse beta-NGF, that beta-NGF levels are extremely low in newborns compared with adults, that beta-NGF levels seems to show developmental changes, and that beta-NGF levels may be used to assess NGF utilization under normal and pathologic conditions such as cerebral malformations.
authors.affiliation: Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital Universitaire de Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vilge
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Juif
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maitre
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Messer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mark
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000097:blood; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D051379:Mice; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000097:blood; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors