Tumour necrosis factor-alpha and leukotriene E4 production in wheezy infants.

It is not clear why certain infants wheeze during viral upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) but it is possible that they have a tendency to mount an exaggerated inflammatory response leading to production of mediators that induce airway narrowing. We studied nasal tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4) production during infection and after recovery in 31 wheezy infants (median age 6.2 months).

Adrenal function in preterm infants.

The adrenal function of 10 preterm infants of gestational age 27-34 weeks was assessed longitudinally from measurements of excretion rates of steroid metabolites in 24-hour urine samples collected at frequent intervals for up to 80 days after delivery. The changes in steroid excretion with time in preterm infants of gestation over 28 weeks reflect involution of the fetal adrenal zone at a similar rate to term infants. These findings are consistent with the removal at birth of the inhibitory effects of oestrogen on the 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme.