Endostatin concentration in cord plasma predicts the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very low birth weight infants.
BACKGROUND
Endostatin is an antiangiogenic growth factor. Together with proangiogenic growth factors it acts to shape the developing vasculature. Dysregulation of angiogenesis is a component in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.


OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to study whether the concentration of circulating endostatin at birth is associated with the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very low birth weight infants.


METHODS
Endostatin concentration was measured in cord plasma from 92 very low birth weight infants (gestational age < 32 weeks; birth weight < 1500 g) and 48 healthy term infants (gestational age > 37 weeks; birth weight > 2500 g).


RESULTS
Endostatin concentration in very low birth weight infants was lower than in healthy term infants. Within the very low birth weight group no correlation existed between endostatin concentration and gestational age or relative birth weight. Very low birth weight infants who subsequently developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia had higher cord endostatin than those who did not. Higher endostatin concentration was associated with higher odds for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Adjusted for gestational age, the odds for bronchopulmonary dysplasia were higher.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating endostatin in term infants was higher than in very low birth weight infants, suggesting a temporal pattern for fetal endostatin concentration. In very low birth weight infants a high concentration of circulating endostatin at birth is associated with the subsequent development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Janér
Joakim
J
Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsink, PO Box 281, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland. joakim.janer@helsinki.fi
Andersson
Sture
S
Kajantie
Eero
E
Lassus
Patrik
P