Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-I in preterm infants with chorioamnionitis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was (i) to determine whether chorioamnionitis (CAM) is associated with an elevated soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFR-I) level and (ii) to examine the time course of the concentration of sTNFR-I in preterm infants after birth.


METHODS
We measured sTNFR-I levels in the cord blood of 112 preterm infants (gestational age < or =34 weeks), and those in peripheral blood of 30 preterm infants on days 7, 14, 21 and 28.


RESULTS
The median value for the sTNFR-I was significantly elevated in 33 infants with CAM at stage 3 (4618 pg/mL) compared with the 52 infants without CAM (2866 pg/mL), or the 13 infants with CAM at stage 1 (3638 pg/mL) and the 14 infants at stage 2 (3242 pg/mL). The severity of CAM is an independent factor for the elevation of cord blood sTNFR-I. The sTNFR-I level on day 0 was significantly higher in eight infants with CAM at stage 3 than in the 22 infants without CAM or with CAM at stage 1 and 2; however there were no significant differences on days 7, 14, 21 and 28. The serum level of sTNFR-I showed a significant gradual decline with time.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that there is an association between elevated sTNFR-I levels in cord blood and maternal CAM, and this elevation may reflect the fetal inflammation. However the elevation of sTNFR-I could not persist postnatally for a long time.
Sato
Miho
M
Maternity and Neonate Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Japan.
Nishimaki
Shigeru
S
An
Hiromi
H
Shima
Yoshio
Y
Naruto
Takuya
T
Sugai
Toshiyuki
T
Iwasaki
Shiho
S
Seki
Kazuo
K
Imagawa
Tomoyuki
T
Mori
Masaaki
M
Yokota
Shumpei
S
D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011247:Pregnancy; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000097:blood*
D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I