Blood Cytokines during the Perinatal Period in Very Preterm Infants: Relationship of Inflammatory Response and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Concentration of plasma cytokines during the perinatal transition of VLGA infants born with CA (n = 48) and without CA (no CA; n = 75). The results for infants developing BPD (n = 32) and for infants with no BPD (n = 91) are shown. Plasma concentrations (pg/mL) are shown as box blots: medians, interquartile ranges, 10th and 90th percentiles, and means. *Significant (P < .05) and **very significant (P < .01) differences between the 2 groups (covariance analysis, using gestation at birth as covariate).

ROC analysis of the risk of BPD for infants born with CA and those without CA (no CA). Mean plasma IL-8 concentration at age 1 day (A, 83.3 [41.2 to 151] pg/ml; B, 98.9 [51.8 to 211]) and mean oxidation index during the first day (C, 26.6 [19.7 to 50.5 cmH₂O/kPa]; D, 31.0 [16.4 to 48.0]) were evaluated. The areas under the ROC curves (mean ± standard error) were as follows: A, 0.694 ± 0.076, P = .034; B, 0.829 ± 0.053, P < .0001; C, 0.705 ± 0.083, P = .028; D, 0.788 ± 0.058, P = .0001.