title: Decreased interleukin-10 in tracheal aspirates from preterm infants developing chronic lung disease.
abstract: The inability to balance pulmonary injury with healing may predispose preterm infants to chronic lung disease (CLD). It is postulated that the production of interleukin (IL)-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is gestationally influenced and that CLD-prone infants may have a reduced ability to produce IL-10.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tracheal fluid (TF) was collected at least twice weekly from 48 mechanically ventilated infants within the first 7 d of life while intubated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 87 TF specimens were obtained. None of the 11 CLD infants (24-31 wk of gestation) had TF IL-10 levels above 4 pg/ml (0/20 TF specimens), while 14 (70%) of the 20 non-CLD preterm infants (27-36 wk of gestation) had IL-10 levels above 5 pg/ml in one or more of their TF specimens (18/48 TF specimens, p < 0.001). Only the 5 term infants who were ventilated for severe lung disease had raised IL-10 levels (17 infants, 5/19 TF specimens). IL-10 levels, if detected, (range 6-938 pg/ml) tended to be higher with increasing gestation (Spearman's rho coefficient = 0.43; p = 0.003). TF IL-10 detection was not associated with hyaline membrane disease, antenatal steroids or influenced by TF sample volume. Overall IL-8 levels were wide ranging but towards the end of week 1 the levels were significantly higher in CLD infants (CLD: median 34 184 ng/ml, preterm non-CLD: median 699 ng/ml, p < 0.001, term: 2961 ng/ml, p = 0.028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A gestationally influenced low IL-10 may predispose preterm infants to persistent pulmonary inflammation of CLD.
authors.affiliation: School of Women's and Children's Health, The University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oei
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henry
mesh_terms: D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000378:metabolism*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014132:Trachea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D016753:Interleukin-10