Placenta growth factor elevation in the cord blood of premature neonates predicts poor pulmonary outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether an elevated placenta growth factor (PlGF) level in cord blood is associated with increased risk for preterm infants to develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).


METHODS
Sixty-three preterm infants who were born at 34 weeks' gestation or earlier were enrolled. Two infants who died before 28 days' postnatal age could not be assigned a BPD status and were excluded. PlGF levels in cord blood were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mann-Whitney rank sum test, Spearman correlation coefficients, and multivariable linear or logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
The BPD group had a higher PlGF level, lower gestational age, lower birth weight (BW), higher incidence of endotracheal tube intubation, and longer duration of intubation. The PlGF levels in cord blood correlated negatively with gestational age and BW. However, multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that only elevated cord blood PlGF levels and BW were associated with BPD after adjusting for all contributing factors. Furthermore, an increased PlGF level in cord blood was significantly correlated with the clinical severity of BPD, as measured by duration of intubation. At 17 mg/dL, the specificity of cord blood PlGF level in predicting BPD was 95%, the sensitivity was 53%, the positive predictive value was 83%, and the negative predictive value was 82%.


CONCLUSIONS
Measuring cord blood PlGF level at birth might be a biological marker for predicting the occurrence of BPD and allowing early therapeutic intervention.
Tsao
Po-Nien
PN
Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wei
Shu-Chen
SC
Su
Yi-Ning
YN
Lee
Chien-Nan
CN
Chou
Hung-Chieh
HC
Hsieh
Wu-Shiun
WS
Hsieh
Fon-Jou
FJ
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor