Cord blood fibroblast growth factor-10 as a possible predictor of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants.

Objective: To evaluate fibroblast growth factor-10 (FGF-10) levels in cord blood as a possible predictor of the subsequent development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.

Patients And Methods: A total of 269 preterm (≤32 weeks gestation) infants (76 infants developed BPD and 193 had no BPD) were enrolled. FGF-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Preterm infants who subsequently developed BPD had significantly lower cord serum levels of FGF-10 than those who did not (p < 0.001). Cord blood levels of FGF-10 were significantly lower in infants with severe BPD than those with moderate or mild disease (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that low cord blood FGF-10 level was independently associated with the subsequent risk of BPD (OR = 0.978 [95 % CI: 0.959 - 0.997]; p = 0.02).

Conclusion: Low cord blood FGF-10 levels may predict the subsequent development of BPD in preterm infants.