Does Haptoglobin Phenotype Influence Postnatal Morbidity in Preterm Neonates?
BACKGROUND
Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute phase protein with antioxidant, bacteriostatic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Hp proteins associated with the three major phenotypes differ in their proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory action. Inflammation and oxidative stress are both involved in most pathophysiological processes in premature infants. The objective of this study was to determine whether Hp phenotype influences clinical manifestations and sepsis incidence in the premature infants.


OBJECTIVE
Infants born before 35 weeks gestational age were prospectively evaluated for Hp phenotype and clinical events, including sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, and retinopathy of prematurity. The participants were observed until discharge.


METHODS
A total of 122 preterm infants were enrolled in the study. Clinical events were not affected by the Hp phenotype. The expression of Hp protein was extremely low in the study population. More septic episodes were found in infants with a birth weight greater than 1,500 g, although, the difference was not statistically significant.


RESULTS
Extremely low expression of Hp may explain the lack of a correlation between Hp phenotype and sepsis in preterm infants. Further research involving a larger neonatal population is required to better understand the role of the Hp phenotype in morbidity of premature infants.
Department of Neonatology Carmel Medical Center, Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Irena
I
Kessel
Department of Cardiovascular Biology, Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Maayan
M
Leib
Department of Cardiovascular Biology, Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Andrew
A
Levy
Department of Cardiovascular Biology, Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Rachel
R
Miller-Lotan
Department of Neonatology Carmel Medical Center, Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Dan
D
Waisman
The Israel Ministry of Health, Haifa, Israel.
Eyal
E
Jacobson
Department of Neonatology Carmel Medical Center, Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Avi
A
Rotschild
Department of Cardiovascular Biology, Rappaport School of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Shany
S
Blum
D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065840:Protective Factors; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D006242:Haptoglobins