Relationship between the neonatal white blood cell count and histologic chorioamnionitis in preterm newborns.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to examine the relationship between neonatal white blood cell (WBC) count and the diagnosis of histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA).


METHODS
We measured WBC, a widely used marker of inflammation, to evaluate whether the values at birth were associated with HCA.


METHODS
NICU, Department of Pediatrics of Padua University, Padua, Italy.


METHODS
WBC count was evaluated in 71 preterm neonates (<32 weeks of gestation) with HCA and in a control group without HCA on day 1, 3, and 6 after delivery. Logistic regression analysis and diagnostic accuracy analysis were used to assess the association between WBC counts and HCA.


RESULTS
WBC levels were significantly higher in infants with HCA than in those without HCA (Median IQR, WBC (x10(9)/l): day 1, 13.2 (6.2-21.8) vs 8.1 (6-11.4), p < 0.001; day 3, 17.4 (11.4-26.9) vs 6.3 (5.2-8.3), p < 0.001; day 6, 18.4 (11.1-31) vs 6.5 (4.4-9), p < 0.0001). The neonatal WBC count on the third day of life was the most sensitive parameter associated with HCA (sensitivity: 0.80; specificity: 0.88). The cut-off value based on the ROC curve was 10 (x10(9)/l).


CONCLUSIONS
WBC count in the third day of life is strongly associated with HCA.
Department of Pediatrics, Padua University, Via Giustiniani 3 35128 Padua, Italy. vincenzo.zanardo@libero.it
Vincenzo
V
Zanardo
Carla
C
Peruzzetto
Daniele
D
Trevisanuto
Francesco
F
Cavallin
Stefania
S
Vedovato
Gianluca
G
Straface
Silvia
S
Chiarelli
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity