title: [Relationship between serum erythropoietin levels and brain injury in preterm infants].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between the levels of erythropoietin (EPO) in serum and brain injury in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and four preterm infants (gestational age: 28-34 weeks) born between October 2014 and September 2015 were enrolled in this study. Brain injury was diagnosed using cerebral ultrasound and MRI. The levels of EPO, S100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and myelin basic protein (MBP) in serum were detected using ELISA. To compare the incidence of brain injury in different serum EPO levels in preterm infants, and the relationship between brain injury and serum EPO levels was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence rate of brain injury in preterm infants was 41.1% (125/304). The incidence rate of brain injury in the low EPO level group was significantly higher than that in the middle-high EPO level groups (P<0.01). The serum levels of S100 protein, NSE, and MBP in the brain injury groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). The serum EPO levels were negatively correlated with serum S100 protein concentration and NSE levels (P<0.05). According to the multiple logistic regression analysis, low gestational age, low birth weight, asphyxia, prolonged mechanical ventilation, anemia and low serum EPO levels were the risk factor for brain injury in preterm infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a higher incidence rate of brain injury in preterm infants with lower serum EPO levels. The serum EPO levels may be correlated with brain injury in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, China. szchengf@163.com.
authors.forename: Guang-Fu
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hui-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jin-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhang-Xing
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chuan-Zhong
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ben-Qing
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Lan
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li-Hui
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Rong-Tian
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D004921:Erythropoietin