Umbilical serum concentrations of chemokines (RANTES and MGSA/GRO‐α) in preterm and term neonates

AbstractBackground: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between labor (preterm and term) and umbilical blood serum regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and melanoma growth stimulatory activity/growth‐related oncogene‐a (MSGA/GRO‐α) concentration, and to determine whether early sepsis and pneumonia are associated with changes in concentrations of the chemokines (RANTES and MSGA/GRO‐α) in umbilical blood serum.Methods: Umbilical blood was obtained from 67 neonates in the following groups: (i) preterm neonates with early sepsis; (ii) preterm neonates with pneumonia; (iii) non‐infected preterm neonates; and (iv) full‐term healthy neonates. RANTES and MGSA/GRO‐α concentrations were determined by use of a commercially available immunoassay kit.Results: Non‐infected preterm neonates had lower RANTES concentrations than healthy term neonates. Preterm infected neonates (pneumonia or sepsis) did not have higher RANTES concentrations than non‐infected preterm neonates. In contrast, non‐infected preterm neonates had higher MSGA/GRO‐α concentrations than full‐term healthy neonates. And preterm neonates with sepsis had higher MGSA/GRO‐α concentrations than preterm ones with pneumonia and non‐infected preterm ones.Conclusions: Preterm neonates had constitutively lower RANTES concentrations than term ones and it seems that during infection RANTES concentrations did not increase. MGSA/GRO‐a concentrations were constitutively higher in preterm than term neonates, and septic events further increased its concentrations in preterm neonates.