Correlation between apelin and VEGF levels in retinopathy of prematurity: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Although several clinical studies have analysed the relationship between the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and apelin-13 in venous blood and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), no definitive conclusions have been reached. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between apelin-13 levels and VEGF levels and ROP. METHODS: Differences in plasma apelin-13 and VEGF levels were analysed in two groups of infants born with birth weight < 1500 g and gestational age < 32 weeks at Peking University People' s Hospital. One group comprised infants diagnosed with ROP and the other group was a control group comprising infants without ROP. RESULTS: Apelin-13 levels were significantly lower in the ROP group than in the control group, while VEGF levels showed the opposite result (both P < 0.001). Infants with severe ROP had lower apelin-13 levels and higher VEGF levels than with mild ROP (both P < 0.05).The receiver operating characteristic curve for apelin-13 level as the indicator of ROP showed that a cut-off value of 119.6 pg/mL yielded a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 63.6%, while for VEGF level, the cut-off value of 84.3 pg/mL exhibited a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 66.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma apelin-13 and VEGF levels at 4-6 weeks of age may play a role in assisting the diagnosis of ROP.

Plasma apelin and vascular endothelial growth factor levels in preterm infants: relationship to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

AIM: The study aimed to determine the association between cord plasma levels of apelin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants. METHODS: This case-control study included 120 preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of our hospital between January 2019 and January 2020. The infants were divided into RDS (n = 60) and non-RDS groups (n = 60). The cord plasma apelin and VEGF levels, perinatal characteristics, and neonatal complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The plasma apelin levels in the RDS group were significantly higher than in the non-RDS group (158.9 ± 24.8 vs. 125.2 ± 18.2 pg/mL, respectively), whereas VEGF levels in the non-RDS group were significantly higher than in the RDS group (187.4 ± 28.5 vs. 245.1 ± 44.8 pg/mL, respectively) (both p < .001). Infants with more severe RDS had higher plasma apelin levels and lower plasma VEGF levels. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for the prediction of RDS, a cutoff of 148.4 pg/mL for apelin level yielded a sensitivity of 63.3% and a specificity of 95.0%, whereas a cutoff of 214.2 pg/mL for VEGF level showed a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 75.0%. Apelin levels were negatively correlated with VEGF levels in infants with RDS (r = 0.84, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Differences in cord plasma apelin and VEGF levels may aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of RDS in preterm infants.

Delivery room resuscitation and short-term outcomes of extremely preterm and extremely low birth weight infants: a multicenter survey in North China.

BACKGROUND: Delivery room resuscitation assists preterm infants, especially extremely preterm infants (EPI) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI), in breathing support, while it potentially exerts a negative impact on the lungs and outcomes of preterm infants. This study aimed to assess delivery room resuscitation and discharge outcomes of EPI and ELBWI in China. METHODS: The clinical data of EPI (gestational age [GA] <28 weeks) and ELBWI (birth weight [BW] <1000 g), admitted within 72 h of birth in 33 neonatal intensive care units from five provinces and cities in North China between 2017 and 2018, were analyzed. The primary outcomes were delivery room resuscitation and risk factors for delivery room intubation (DRI). The secondary outcomes were survival rates, incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and risk factors for BPD. RESULTS: A cohort of 952 preterm infants were enrolled. The incidence of DRI, chest compressions, and administration of epinephrine was 55.9% (532/952), 12.5% (119/952), and 7.0% (67/952), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors for DRI were GA <28 weeks (odds ratio [OR], 3.147; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.082-4.755), BW <1000 g (OR, 2.240; 95% CI, 1.606-3.125), and antepartum infection (OR, 1.429; 95% CI, 1.044-1.956). The survival rate was 65.9% (627/952) and was dependent on GA. The rate of BPD was 29.3% (181/627). Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors for BPD were male (OR, 1.603; 95% CI, 1.061-2.424), DRI (OR, 2.094; 95% CI, 1.328-3.303), respiratory distress syndrome exposed to ≥2 doses of pulmonary surfactants (PS; OR, 2.700; 95% CI, 1.679-4.343), and mechanical ventilation ≥7 days (OR, 4.358; 95% CI, 2.777-6.837). However, a larger BW (OR, 0.998; 95% CI, 0.996-0.999), antenatal steroid (OR, 0.577; 95% CI, 0.379-0.880), and PS use in the delivery room (OR, 0.273; 95% CI, 0.160-0.467) were preventive factors for BPD (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Improving delivery room resuscitation and management of respiratory complications are imperative during early management of the health of EPI and ELBWI.

RIP140/PGC-1α axis involved in vitamin A-induced neural differentiation by increasing mitochondrial function.

Vitamin A deficiency and mitochondrial dysfunction are both associated with neural differentiation-related disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS). The mechanism of vitamin A-induced neural differentiation and the notion that vitamin A can regulate the morphology and function of mitochondria in its induction of neural differentiation through the RIP140/PGC-1α axis are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles and underlying mechanisms of RIP140/PGC-1α axis in vitamin A-induced neural differentiation. Human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were used as a model of neural stem cells, which were incubated with DMSO, 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) and all-trans-retinoic acid (at-RA). Neural differentiation of SH-SY5Y was evaluated by Sandquist calculation, combined with immunofluorescence and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of neural markers. Mitochondrial function was estimated by ultrastructure assay using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with the expression of PGC-1α and NEMGs using real-time PCR. The participation of the RA signaling pathway was demonstrated by adding RA receptor antagonists. Vitamin A derivatives are able to regulate mitochondrial morphology and function, and furthermore to induce neural differentiation through the RA signaling pathway. The RIP140/PGC-1α axis is involved in the regulation of mitochondrial function in vitamin A derivative-induced neural differentiation.

[The influence of preventive iron supplementation to iron nutritional status in breastfed infants].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects to iron status who were given preventive iron supplements for two months from when they were breast-fed to four-month-old. METHODS: A total of 123 infants in four-month-old age who were breast-fed were randomly divided into iron supplementation group (63 cases) and control group (60 cases), iron supplementation group was supplied with low-dose iron (1 mg×kg⁻¹×d⁻¹) for two months with no intervention for control group. Blood samples were collected to test C reactive protein and iron status indicators in six-month-old age group infants, and the growth indices were measured and compared on the gender difference of iron status at and 6 months. RESULTS: After 2 months of low-dose iron supplementation, the hemoglobin of iron supplementation group (26 cases) increased about 5.5 g/L while the control group (34 cases) increases about 0.0 g/L (median), 95% confidence intervals were -7.0 - 13.0 g/L and -9.0 - 15.0 g/L, respectively. The hemoglobin increase of iron supplementation group was higher than the control group, the difference was statistically significant (u = -2.326, P < 0.05). The other iron nutritional status and the growth did not show any significant difference between iron supplementation group and control group (P > 0.05). At age 6 month, the MCV of the boys were (75.89 ± 3.34) fl, while the girls were (77.20 ± 3.17) fl. The boys had lower values of MCV than the girls, and the gender difference was statistically significant (t = 4.73, P < 0.05). The other iron nutritional status did not show any significant gender difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Low-dose iron supplementation of breast-fed infants at 4-month-old can increase the hemoglobin level when they were 6-month-old, and had no measurable side effect on growth.

[Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy and neonatal outcomes].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between thrombocytopenia in pregnancy associated with various causes and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: Medical records of 140 pregnant women with thrombocytopenia in pregnancy and the neonatal outcomes from January 2009 to December 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. The pregnant women were classified into four groups according to the causes of thrombocytopenia: gestational thrombocytopenia (GT; n=94), pregnancy with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP; n=30), pregnancy with other hematological disease (aplastic anemia or myelodysplastic syndrome; n=12), and other causes (n=4): pregnancy induced hypertension syndrome, pregnancy with systemic lupus erythematosus, and pregnancy with alcoholic cirrhosis. The neonatal outcomes in the four groups were compared. RESULTS: The premature birth rates in the GT and the ITP groups were 11.3% and 16.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups. The premature birth rate in the other hematological disease group was 53.8%, which was significantly higher than that in the GT (P<0.01) and the ITP groups (P<0.05). Congenital passive immune thrombocytopenia was found in 2 neonates (2%) in the GT group and in 4 neonates (13%) in the ITP group (P<0.05). In addition, other diseases were also observed in neonates in the ITP group, including 1 case (3%) of ITP and 1 case (3%) of Evans syndrome. Intracranial hemorrhage occurred in one neonate (8%) in the other hematological disease group. Neonatal lupus syndrome was found in 1 case (25%) in the other causes group. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy associated with different causes may result in different neonatal outcomes.

[Effects of receptor-interacting protein 140 gene knockdown on the proliferation of microglioma cells: experiment with rat microglioma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of receptor-interacting protein (RIP)140 gene knockdown on the proliferation of microglioma cells. METHODS: Mouse microglioma cells of the line BV-2 were cultured and transfected with 2 kinds of recombinant RIP140-shRNA plasmids (V2MM-71674 and V2MM-71080) or blank plasmid MSCV-EGFP. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of RIP140; and the cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay. RESULTS: There were not significant differences in the RIP140 mRNA and protein expression between the BV-2 and BV-2-MGCV-EGFP groups. Compared to those of the BV-2 group, the RIP140 mRNA expression levels of the BV-2-71674 and BV-2-71080 groups were lower by 73% and 75% respectively. The protein expression levels of the BV-2-71674 and BV-2-71080 groups were remarkably lower than those of the BV-2 and BV-MSGV-EGFP groups. MTT assay showed that there were not significant differences in the proliferation rates at different time points between the BV-2 and BV-2-MSCV-EGFP groups, however, the proliferation rates at the time points of 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of the BV-2-71674 and BV-2-71080 groups were significantly lower than those of the BV-2 group (all P<0.01). CONCLUSION: RIP140 gene knockdown effectively inhibits the proliferation of microglioma cells.