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Adenosine is produced in the inflammed and damaged lung where it plays roles in the regulation of inflammation and tissue remodeling. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an enzyme responsible for the degradation of adenosine. Our aim was to compare the levels of ADA between infants with and without respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and to determine the relationship between plasma ADA levels and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). One-hundred and twenty-five premature infants who were admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit were included in the study. Eighty-one of these infants with RDS were study group and the other 44 infants without RDS served as controls. Blood collection was made in the first day of life at the end of 24th-h and was used for laboratory testing. In the RDS group, mean ADA level was 25.5 (±±4.5) U/l, and in controls it was 26.3 (±±5.7) U/l. There was no statistically significant difference ( p == 0.326) in these groups although there was a statistically difference of ADA levels between BPD (34.5 ±± 5.2 U/l) and non-BPD (24.6 ±± 4.1) patients ( p == 0.001). There was also a positive relationship between ADA levels and severity of BPD ( r == ++ 0.845, p == 0.01). Perinatal inflammation is the key mechanism of BPD. ADA level in early postnatal life is elevated in infants with BPD and may be related with perinatal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the etiology is not clear, neonatal neutropenia is frequently seen in infants of preeclamptic mothers in the first week of life. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a chronic pulmonary morbidity that is associated with fetal and neonatal inflammation and neutrophil activation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between absolute neutrophil count and subsequent development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants of preeclamptic mothers. Between January 2003 and December 2007, 84 infants of preeclamptic mothers and 91 controls who were born and admitted to Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children's Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were included in the study. Complete blood count including white blood cell and differential count and peripheral blood smears were noted from hospital records in all infants. Mean gestational age was 30.2 ± 1.7 weeks in the preeclamptic group and 30.7 ± 1.8 in the control group, while the mean birth weights were 1035 ± 177 g and 1042 ± 149 g, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to white blood cell, absolute neutrophil and platelet counts (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (white blood cell count odds ratio [OR]: 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-8.8; absolute neutrophil count OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2-6.3). Neonatal neutropenia, which is frequently seen in infants of preeclamptic mothers, may prevent the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Increased white blood cell count may reflect a risk factor for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia but this should be tested in prospective studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystatin C (CysC) is a low-molecular-mass protein (13,343 dalton, 120 amino acids) belonging to the cystatin superfamily of reversible inhibitors of cysteine proteases. CysC appears to be eliminated from the circulation almost exclusively by glomerular filtration, which makes it a promising endogenous marker of renal function. CysC has been demonstrated to reflect glomerular filtration rate better than other low-molecular-weight proteins, including creatinine (Cr). We established reference values for serum CysC and compared them with Cr in 108 preterm infants by particle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay. On the first day, serum CysC values ranged from 1.25 to 2.84 mg/L, significantly decreasing after 3 days of life. Cr levels determined simultaneously on the first day ranged from 0.05 to 1.12 mg/dl and were also significantly different from day 3 levels. Both CysC and Cr levels were independent of gender, birth weight, hemoglobin levels, and hydration state. Cr correlated negatively with gestational age ( r = −0.25, p = 0.009), but not CysC. A significant correlation was found between CysC and Cr on day 1 ( r = 0.21, p = 0.031), but no correlation was found according to day 3 blood samples ( r = 0.19, p = 0.053). CysC is regarded as an alternative for assessing renal function in preterm neonates, but its advantages over Cr are not yet proven. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chryseobacterium meningosepticum is a gram-negative bacterium, which is pathogenic for preterm infants and immunocompromised adults, especially in intensive care units. This study is a documentation of an outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and demonstrates the outcome and prognosis of infected infants. A total of 16 infants infected by C. meningosepticum during a one-year period were included in the study. The source of the bacteria could not be explained clearly but the environment and respiratory equipment were the most probable sources. Pneumonia was the most important complication because of its association with a high mortality rate (60%). Hydrocephalus occurred in three patients and resulted in severe neurologic sequelae. We concluded that C. meningosepticum is a fulminant microorganism that spreads rapidly as an outbreak in NICUs and causes serious complications such as pneumonia, meningitis, hydrocephalus, and long-term morbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]