Markers of endothelial cell activation in suspected late onset neonatal sepsis in Surinamese newborns: a pilot study.

Background: Serum levels of markers of endothelial cell activation are associated with bacteremia and mortality in sepsis in adults, children, and newborns with early onset sepsis. We hypothesize that levels of these markers are associated with these outcomes in hospitalized newborns with suspected late onset neonatal sepsis (LONS).

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, newborns admitted to the tertiary neonatal care facility of Suriname were included upon clinical suspicion of LONS and before start of antibiotic treatment, between April 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016. Serum concentrations of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, and soluble isoforms of P-selectin, E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), platelet and endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (sPECAM-1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), neutrophil elastase, and tissue-inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) were measured.

Results: Twenty-thee newborns were included. Baseline characteristics were similar between newborns with and without bacteremia and between non-survivors and survivors. Only soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) was higher in newborns with bacteremia versus non-bacteremia (P=0.04) and lower in non-survivors (P=0.04). No conclusions could be made for sVCAM-1 due to high serum concentrations.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the data from this pilot study indicate that serum levels of markers of endothelial cell activation are poorly associated with bacteremia and mortality.