Cord immunoproteins as predictors of respiratory outcome in preterm infants.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of cord blood proteins and antenatal factors in the prediction of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Study Design: The prospectively collected cohort included 163 infants. All infants were born between 1998-2002 in a single regional hospital before 32 weeks of gestation and survived the first hospitalization. Altogether, 107 cord blood proteins were analyzed. Twenty-two antenatal clinical factors were included in the data mining and logistic regression analyses.

Results: The incidence of RDS was 64% and of BPD was 25%. Histologic chorioamnionitis protected from RDS (odds ratio [OR], 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.53; P < .001). Besides the length of gestation, other clinical factors poorly predicted the outcomes. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 independently predicted RDS (OR, 8.3; 95% CI, 3.0-23.1; P < .001). Soluble glycoprotein 130 independently predicted BPD (OR, 6.07; 95%CI, 2.20-16.7; P < .001).

Conclusion: Specific antenatal immunologic activation predicts either acute or chronic respiratory disease in very preterm infants.