[Neonatal Cornelia de Lange syndrome]. / Síndrome de Cornelia de Lange neonatal.

INTRODUCTION: Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a rare polimalformative association that shows an expresivity of unknown etiology being most cases sporadic. The diagnosis is clinical. CASE REPORTS: Two female newborns without remarkable antecedents affected of intrauterine growth retardation were born by cesarean section due to risk of perinatal asphyxia. Both cases had a harmonic hypotrophy and a very similar clinical phenotype, especially the craniofacial anomalies, with typical facial features and limb alterations. Besides, the evolution confirms the diagnosis because in both cases the delay of somatic development and microcephaly, as well as moderate-severe psychomotor delay and behavior alterations were present. Likewise, both cases have developed typical medical complications of the condition. The complementary study showed in both patients an important dysfunction of the auditory ways and a atrial septal defect. They were soon included in sensory and motor program of rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: We present two cases of Cornelia de Lange syndrome of neonatal diagnosis that we consider of interest due to the importance of an early recognition of the clinical condition for the family advice and the medical aid and for an appropriate development.

[Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha as markers of vertically-transmitted neonatal bacterial infection]. / Interleucina-6 y factor de necrosis tumoral-alpha como marcadores de infección neonatal de transmisión vertical.

INTRODUCTION: Neonatal infection is a major cause of morbidity in the neonatal period. Several parameters have been used to assess neonatal sepsis. C-reactive protein (CRP) shows high specificity for bacterial infections, but an increase in CRP is often not detected until 12 to 24 hours after onset of the infection. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the early diagnosis of vertically-transmitted neonatal bacterial infection. METHODS: Thirty-four newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with an initial diagnosis of respiratory distress were included. Twelve newborns presented the criteria for clinical sepsis or pneumonia (group I) and six had positive blood culture. The remaining patients did not present the clinical criteria for infection (group II). IL-6, TNF-alpha, CRP levels and the ratio between immature and mature neutrophil count were assessed at 8.8 +/- 7.3 hours of life. In 17 patients the same parameters were assessed at 67.4 +/- 24.8 hours of life. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test. The sensitivity and specificity of these markers were assessed. RESULTS: No differences were found in the perinatal features of either group. Analysis of markers of infection revealed the following significant differences: ratio between immature and mature neutrophil count: (0.25 +/- 0.21 vs 0.12 +/- 0.09; p=0.048), CRP first determination (1.4 +/- 0.8 mg/dL vs 1 +/- 0.5 mg/dL; p=0.036), CRP second determination: (3.8 +/- 1.8 mg/dL vs 1.4 +/- 1.1 mg/dL; p=0.008), IL-6 first determination: (582.2 +/- 810.5 pg/mL vs 31.3 +/- 24.2 pg/mL; p=0.000). Sensitivity/specificity (%): ratio between immature and mature neutrophil count: 41.6/83.6; CRP first determination: 16.6/90.9; CRP second determination: 83.3/87.5; IL-6 (optimum cut-off value: 55 pg/mL): 100/72.7, and TNF-alpha: 16.6/85. CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 determination in the first hours of life is a more sensitive early marker of neonatal infection than other classical markers because of its early elevation. Like CRP, early TNF-alpha determination has high specificity but low sensitivity.