title: Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-I in preterm infants with chorioamnionitis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Maternity and Neonate Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimaki
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naruto
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugai
authors.forename: Shiho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imagawa
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Shumpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokota
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I