Soluble Triggering Receptors Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 as a Neonatal Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Biomarker

Zu-Qin Yang,1 Jing-Yun Mai,2 Min-Li Zhu,2 Xiu-Man Xiao,2 Xiao-Xiao He,2 Shang-Qin Chen,2 Zhen-Lang Lin,2 Xing Feng1 1Department of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215025, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neonatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xing FengDepartment of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Soochow University, No. 92 Zhongnan Street, Wuzhong District, Suzhou, 215025, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 0512 80692700Fax +86 0512 80693599Email fengxing1938@21cn.comBackground: Neonatal ventilator-associated pneumonia (NVAP) is one of the main infections acquired in hospitals, and soluble triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) are a TREM-1 subtype that can be released into the blood or bodily fluids during an infection.Methods: The patients included in the present study were divided into three groups: the NVAP group, the first control group, and the second control group (n = 20, each). Children requiring respiratory treatment were assigned to the NVAP group, newborns who received mechanical ventilation and had neonatal respiratory distress syndrome were assigned to the first control group, and newborns with normal X-ray and electrocardiogram results but no non-pulmonary infection was assigned to the second control group. The blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) sTREM-1 levels in all newborns were analyzed.Results: The acute-phase blood and BALF sTREM-1 levels were significantly higher in the NVAP group than in the first control group, and the blood sTREM-1 expression level was lower in the second control group than in the NVAP group.Conclusion: The present results suggest that sTREM-1 might be a useful biomarker for NVAP prediction in the Department of Pediatrics.Keywords: pneumonia, neonatal ventilator-associated pneumonia, soluble TREM-1, neonate, C-reactive protein