Can IL-33 and Endocan be New Markers for Retinopathy of Prematurity?

Background: Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a pathophysiologic condition of the retina due to abnormal proliferation of retinal vessels.

Objective: The study aimed too ascertain the importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), interleukin-33 (IL-33) and endocan in the diagnosis and follow-up of ROP.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Health Science University, Zekai Tahir Burak Maternity Teaching Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, between February 2017 and August 2018. Preterm infants (gestational age (GA) of ≤32 weeks and birth weight of ≤1500 gr), diagnosed ROP were included in the study. VEGF, IGF-1, IL-33 and endocan levels were evaluated in the cord blood and in the serum before and after treatment of infants in the ROP and control groups.

Results: A final number of 146 infants were included in the study. During the study period, 73 infants were identified as the ROP group, and 73 infants were allocated as the control group. In the ROP group, the cord blood VEGF value was higher than the control group (p <0.05). However, IGF-1 levels in the cord blood were lower in the ROP group than control (P<0.05). IL-33 and endocan values in the cord blood were similar in both control and ROP groups (p>0.05). Although serum levels of IL-33, VEGF and endocan were higher before laser treatment, these biomarkers decreased significantly after laser treatment (p <0.05).

Conclusion: We determined that serum IL-33 and endocan levels might be suggested as sensitive novel markers for the prediction of severe ROP.