Host defence lectins in preterm neonates

Abstract

Aim: Deficiency in collectins is discussed as a risk factor for pulmonary and systemic infections in children and adults. The objective of this study was to determine serum concentrations of surfactant protein D (SP‐D) and mannose‐binding lectin (MBL) in preterm and term infants at birth. Methods: 47 preterm infants below 32 wk gestational age (GA) and 19 healthy, term newborn infants at birth have been included in the study, and SP‐D as well as MBL concentrations have been determined in umbilical cord blood samples using sandwich ELISA technique. In addition, SP‐D concentrations were assessed in tracheal aspirates (TA) of 24 mechanically ventilated preterms and in infants without pulmonary complications before elective surgery. Results: MBL serum concentrations were significantly lower in preterms <32 wk GA (756.7 ng/ml; 14.6–11 184 ng/ml) compared to term newborns (3168.9 ng/ml; 282.3–7679.5 ng/ml; p=0.005; median and range, respectively). Serum SP‐D concentrations were significantly decreased in preterms between 28 and 32 wk GA (1.4 ng/ml; 0–4.6 ng/ml; n=26) compared to term infants (2.2 ng/ml; 1.2–3.3 ng/ml; p=0.05) and were found to positively correlate with history of antenatal corticosteroids and chorioamnionitis. SP‐D concentrations in TA were increased in preterm infants between 28 and 32 wk GA with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (25.0 ng/ml; 0.9–44.7 ng/ml; n=12) compared to control subjects (6.6 ng/ml; 0.5–30.4 ng/ml; n=12) in contrast to extremely immature infants <28 wk GA suffering from RDS (4.4 ng/ml; 0.8–78.4 ng/ml; n=12). Conclusion: In preterm infants, significant changes occur in collectin umbilical cord blood concentrations and pulmonary SP‐D levels. Functional aspects of these findings need to be addressed further.

Mannan-binding lectin genotypes and genotype–phenotype relationships in a large cohort of Polish neonates

“…In both series, median cord MBL concentrations were lower than in children and adults, consistent with a reported increase to adult levels during the first 3 months of postnatal life [21]. Perhaps surprisingly, we found no correlation between the MBL concentration in cord serum and gestational age (r ϭ 0.03; p ϭ 0.19); several independent groups have reported such a correlation [22][23][24].…”

Genetic liability to schizophrenia in Oceanic Palau: a search in the affected and maternal generation

“…Variation in MBL2 has been implicated directly in pre-term birth (Annells et al 2004(Annells et al , 2005 and low birth weight for women with recurrent spontaneous abortion (Kruse et al 2002; but see Baxter et al 2001). In the Kruse et al (2002) study, they associate MBL levels with preterm birth (see also Hilgendorff et al 2005) and could find no effect of paternal MBL2 genotype on outcome.…”

Serum mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene polymorphism and low MBL levels are associated with neonatal sepsis and pneumonia

“…[35][36][37] Frakking et al 13 found that low MBL levels were associated with pneumonia in the first month of life in premature infants. Similarly, Hilgendorff et al 16 also suggested that low MBL levels might contribute to both pulmonary and systemic infection development in preterm infants. Our findings were in good agreement with these studies.…”

“…16,28,32 Lau et al 32 studied MBL levels in 885 longitudinally collected serum samples from 168 preterm infants and 63 were genotyped for codon 54 mutation in MBL gene. They found that for infants with codon 54 mutation, there was a significant difference between preterm and term infants.…”