Neonatal infectious diseases are a serious threat to the health of newborns. The aim was to establish a new detection method for the simultaneous measurement of (1,3)‐β‐d‐glucan and procalcitonin in serum for the early screening and efficacy testing of neonatal infectious diseases. We established a sandwich dual‐label time‐resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA): anti‐(1,3)‐β‐d‐glucan/procalcitonin antibodies immobilized on 96‐well plates captured (1,3)‐β‐d‐glucan/procalcitonin antigens and then banded together with the detection antibodies labeled with europium(III) (Eu3+)/samarium(III) (Sm3+) chelates. Finally, time‐resolved fluorometry was used to measure the fluorescence intensity. The linear correlation coefficient (R2) of the (1,3)‐β‐d‐glucan standard curve was 0.9913, and the R2 of the procalcitonin standard curve was 0.9911. The detection sensitivity for (1,3)‐β‐d‐glucan was 0.4 pg/mL (dynamic range: 0.6–90 pg/mL), and the average recovery was 101.55%. The detection sensitivity for procalcitonin was 0.02 ng/mL (dynamic range: 0.05–95 ng/mL), and the average recovery was 104.61%. There was a high R2 between the present TRFIA method and a commercially available assay (R2 = 0.9829 for (1,3)‐β‐d‐glucan and R2 = 0.9704 for procalcitonin). Additionally, the cutoff values for (1,3)‐β‐d‐glucan and procalcitonin were 23.95 pg/mL and 0.055 ng/mL, respectively. The present TRFIA method has high sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity and is an effective method for early screening and efficient testing of neonatal invasive fungal infection.

Background Comprehensive metabolic panel tests (CMP) are routinely performed in extremely premature infants within the first days of life. The association between the parameters of first postnatal CMP and the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains elusive. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between the parameters of first postnatal CMP and the risk of BPD in a cohort of extremely premature infants (born with a gestational age less than 28 weeks or a birth weight less than 1000 grams) at the neonatal intensive care unit, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, from January 2016 to October 2018. A multivariant regression model was built to assess the association of the first postnatal CMP with the development of BPD. Results A total of 256 extremely premature infants were included in this study. BPD developed in 76 (29.7%) infants. The first CMP in these infants was performed at 5 to 8 days after birth. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and magnesium were significantly higher in infants with BPD compared to infants with no BPD (10.2 versus 7.5 mmol/L, P < 0.001 and 0.9 versus 0.8 U/L, P = 0.001, respectively) whereas the level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total protein was significantly lower in infants with BPD (215.5 versus 310.0 U/L, P = 0.002 and 41.2 versus 42.9 g/L, P = 0.037, respectively). Multiple analysis showed that a higher level of BUN (>8.18 mmol/L) was independently associated with BPD (OR 3.261, 95% CI 1.779-5.978). Conclusion Our findings indicate that a higher postnatal BUN level (>8.18 mmol/L) may be a predictor for the development of BPD in extremely premature infants.

Background: Platelet-rich thrombosis leads to the occlusion of arteries. Whether the association between platelet count and closure of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) exists remains inconclusive. Given that neonatal platelet count is significantly affected by infection, this study aims to evaluate the association of platelet parameters before ibuprofen treatment with the closure of hsPDA in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants without concurrent infection.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the NICU of Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital from January 2016 to August 2020. VLBW infants diagnosed with hsPDA, treated with oral ibuprofen and without concurrent infection were included in this study. The platelet parameters were retrieved from the whole-blood test routinely performed within 24 h before starting treatment of oral ibuprofen. A multiple regression model was built to evaluate the association between platelet parameters before ibuprofen treatment and successful closure of hsPDA.Results: A total of 129 premature infants with hsPDA were analyzed in this study. After oral ibuprofen treatment, successful closure of hsPDA was achieved in 70 (54.3%) infants. The gestational age at birth and birth weight in infants with successful or failed closure of hsPDA after ibuprofen treatment were 28.3 vs. 27.6 weeks (p = 0.016) and 1,120 vs. 960 g (p = 0.043), respectively. The rate of mechanical ventilation in infants with successful closure of hsPDA was significantly lower compared to those with failed closure of hsPDA, 31.4 vs. 54.2%, p = 0.014. The platelet count in infants with successful closure of hsPDA after ibuprofen treatment was significantly higher compared to those with failed closure of hsPDA, 212 vs. 183 (in a unit of 109/L), respectively (p = 0.024). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a higher platelet count (≥181 × 109/L) before ibuprofen treatment was independently associated with successful closure of hsPDA [odds ratio 2.556, 95% confidence interval (1.101–5.932), p = 0.029].Conclusion: The findings in this study suggest that a higher platelet count before oral ibuprofen treatment may predict the probability of successful closure of hsPDA in VLBW infants.