Increased serum vaspin concentration in full-term neonates with early-onset infections

Aim of the study
The evaluation of serum vaspin concentration (SVC) in full-term, appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates, according to their sex, gestational age, anthropometric parameters, type of delivery, birth asphyxia, and kind of infection.

Material and methods
In 183 full-term neonates, 102 infected and 81 healthy, 108 male and 75 female, 119 born vaginally and 64 by caesarean section, SVC was measured in serum of peripheral venous blood by ELISA test between the third and seventh day of life. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. The neonates were divided into two groups: group I – 102 infected; and group II (control) – 81 healthy full-term neonates from physiological pregnancies. Early-onset infection involved sepsis (24 cases), bilateral pneumonia (38 cases), urinary tract infection (24 cases), purulent omphalitis, dermatitis, purulent meningitis, and osteomyelitis.

Results
In infected neonates the SVC ranged from 0.093 to 1.19 ng/ml, and in the control group from 0.018 to 0.580 ng/ml. It was stated that infected neonates have significantly (p < 0.002) higher SVC than healthy neonates. Septic neonates had the highest value, significantly higher than local infected neonates. We did not observe any differences between infected males and females, or between those born by caesarean section and those delivered vaginally. Healthy girls had significantly higher SVC than the healthy boys. No correlation was noted between SVC and anthropometric parameters in both healthy and infected neonates and between sex, birth asphyxia, and C-reactive protein value in infected babies.

Conclusions
Early-onset infections, especially sepsis, increase SVC in full-term, AGA neonates independently of their sex, birth asphyxia, and type of delivery.