Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression Pattern in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Changes Drastically within the First Week of Life.

INTRODUCTION: We herein examined changes in expression levels of the glucocorticoid receptor subtypes GRα and GRß in very low birth weight (VLBW) and term infants to clarify time-dependent changes in glucocorticoid sensitivity after birth. METHODS: Whole blood samples were collected at birth and on postnatal days 4-7, and the mRNA expression levels of GRα and GRß were measured using RT-qPCR. The relative gene expression levels of GRα and GRß as the target genes normalized to actin beta as the endogenous control were calculated by the comparative cycle threshold method. RESULTS: The GRα/GRß expression ratio at birth was significantly lower in 32 VLBW cesarean section (CS) infants than in term planned CS infants (median [IQR], 1.5 [1.1-1.8]- and 1.1 [0.7-1.6]-fold change, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the GRα/GRß expression ratio increased from day 0 to days 4-7 (1.0 [0.6-1.4]- and 1.7 [0.6-1.4]-fold change, p < 0.01) in 43 VLBW infants. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that glucocorticoid sensitivity in VLBW infants increases after birth and this rapid change may play a role in surviving critical postnatal events.

Comparison of two methods measuring serum alkaline phosphatase in neonates.

BACKGROUND: Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a useful bone turnover marker to diagnose metabolic bone disease in preterm infants. In Japan, serum ALP levels were generally measured using the Japan Society of Clinical Chemistry (JSCC) method. It is problematic that ALP levels measured using the JSCC method tend to be higher in people with blood types B and O regardless of the disease. For international standardization, since 2020, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) method has been used as a reference method for ALP measurement instead of the JSCC method. However, no report has investigated the correlation between these two methods in neonates. We therefore aimed to compare the JSCC and IFCC methods and demonstrate a conversion formula in neonates. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we used a total of 402 samples in 49 preterm and 38 term infants. Serum ALP levels were measured using the JSCC and IFCC methods. RESULTS: Alkaline phosphatase measured using the JSCC method strongly correlated with that measured using the IFCC method in all blood types in preterm and term infants (P < 0.01 for all). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the serum ALP levels measured using the IFCC method could be calculated as 0.34 times the ALP levels measured using the JSCC method in preterm and term infants with any blood type: ALP levels (IFCC method) = 0.34 × ALP levels (JSCC method).

Effect of doxapram on the electrical activity of the diaphragm waveform pattern of preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the change in the waveform pattern of the electrical activity of the diaphragm (Edi) following the administration of doxapram in extremely preterm infants ventilated with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted this retrospective cohort study in our neonatal intensive care unit between November 2019 and September 2021. The study participants were extremely preterm infants under the gestational age of 28 weeks who were ventilated with NAVA and administered doxapram. We collected the data of the Edi waveform pattern and calculated the proportion. To analyze the change in the proportion of the Edi waveform pattern, we compared the proportion of the data for 1 h before and after doxapram administration. RESULTS: Ten extremely preterm infants were included. Almost all the patients' respiratory condition improved after doxapram administration. The ventilatory parameters-Edi peak, Edi minimum, peak inspiratory pressure, time in backup ventilation, and number of switches to backup ventilation-did not change significantly. However, the proportion of phasic pattern significantly increased (before: 46% vs. after: 72%; p < 0.05), whereas the central apnea pattern significantly decreased after doxapram administration (before: 31% vs. after: 8.3%; p < 0.05). The proportion of irregular low-voltage patterns tended to decrease, albeit with no significant changes. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the proportion of Edi waveform patterns changed following doxapram administration. Edi waveform pattern analysis could be a sensitive indicator of effect with other intervention for respiratory conditions.

Effect of electrical activity of the diaphragm waveform patterns on SpO2 for extremely preterm infants ventilated with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between electrical activity of the diaphragm (Edi) waveform patterns and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) in extremely preterm infants who are ventilated with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a level III neonatal intensive care unit. Extremely preterm infants born at our hospital between November 2019 and November 2020 and ventilated with NAVA were included. We collected Edi waveform data and classified them into four Edi waveform patterns, including the phasic pattern, central apnea pattern, irregular low-voltage pattern, and tonic burst pattern. We analyzed the Edi waveform pattern for the first 15 h of collectable data in each patient. To investigate the association between Edi waveform patterns and SpO2 , we analyzed the dataset every 5 min as one data unit. We compared the proportion of each waveform pattern between the desaturation (Desat [+]) and non-desaturation (Desat [-]) groups. RESULTS: We analyzed collected data for 105 h (1260 data units). The proportion of the phasic pattern in the Desat (+) group was significantly lower than that in the Desat (-) group (p < .001). However, the proportions of the central apnea, irregular low-voltage, and tonic burst patterns in the Desat (+) group were significantly higher than those in the Desat (-) group (all p < .05). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that proportions of Edi waveform patterns have an effect on desaturation of SpO2 in extremely preterm infants who are ventilated with NAVA.

Effects of passage through the digestive tract on incretin secretion: Before and after birth.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: It was reported that fetuses secrete endogenous incretin; however, the stimulants of fetal incretin secretion are not fully understood. To investigate the association between the passage of amniotic fluid through the intestinal tract and fetal secretion of incretin, we analyzed umbilical cord incretin levels of infants with duodenum atresia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Infants born from July 2017 to July 2019 (infants with duodenum atresia and normal term or preterm infants) were enrolled. We measured and compared the concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory peptide/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) in the umbilical vein and preprandial blood samples after birth. RESULTS: A total of 98 infants (47 term, 46 preterm and 5 with duodenum atresia) were included. In patients with duodenum atresia, umbilical vein GLP-1 and GIP levels were the same as those in normal infants. In postnatal samples, there were positive correlations between the amount of enteral feeding and preprandial serum concentrations of GLP-1 (r = 0.47) or GIP (r = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that enteral feeding is important for secretion of GLP-1 and GIP in postnatal infants, whereas the passage of amniotic fluid is not important for fetal secretion of GLP-1 and GIP. The effect of ingested material passing through the digestive tract on incretin secretion might change before and after birth. Other factors might stimulate secretion of GLP-1 and GIP during the fetal period.

Appropriate Phosphorus Intake by Parenteral Nutrition Prevents Metabolic Bone Disease of Prematurity in Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic bone disease (MBD) is a common disorder in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants. However, no studies have investigated whether high-dose calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) supplementation by parenteral nutrition (PN) prevents MBD in ELBW infants. This study aimed to identify the effect of PN on MBD in ELBW infants. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed ELBW infants who were admitted between April 2011 and March 2017. ELBW infants were divided into the low-P group (n = 22) and the high-P group (n = 26) according to the dose of parenteral P supply. Biochemical and radiological markers of MBD and treatments were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean daily parenteral intake of Ca and P in the first week was significantly higher in the high-P group than in the low-P group (both P ≤ .001). Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were significantly higher in the low-P group than in the high-P group in the first month. ELBW infants in the low-P group received alfacalcidol much more frequently than those in the high-P group. There was a trend of a higher rate of x-ray changes in the low-P group than in the high-P group. No infants developed bone fractures. CONCLUSION: Appropriate P intake by PN is required to ensure high Ca intake, reduce ALP levels in the first month, and prevent MBD from hyperparathyroidism and does not worsen x-ray findings in ELBW infants.

Herpes zoster meningitis in immunocompetent children: Two case reports and a literature review.

We encountered two cases of Herpes zoster (HZ) meningitis, a rarely occurring complication of HZ, in previously healthy children. One patient treated with i.v. acyclovir (ACV, 31 mg/kg/day) did not recover. His symptoms were relieved somewhat by increased ACV dosage, but it caused transient renal dysfunction. Another patient treated with i.v. ACV (30 mg/kg/day) recovered. Treatment for HZ meningitis in immunocompetent children has not been established. In a literature review, 80% of 20 patients were treated with the usual dose of ACV 15-30 mg/kg/day. The present cases suggest that a high dosage of ACV up to 60 mg/kg/day should be considered (while monitoring for side-effects) unless symptoms improve. In the review, one of every three vaccine-strain Varicella zoster virus (VZV) cases was severe, whereas the present cases resulted from wild type. Further investigations must examine different clinical characteristics of HZ meningitis caused by wild-type and vaccine-strain VZV.

Vaccine-strain herpes zoster found in the trigeminal nerve area in a healthy child: A case report.

A previously healthy 2-year-old girl, vaccinated for varicella at 17 months, was admitted because of left-sided facial herpes zoster caused by vaccine-strain varicella-zoster virus (VZV). She recovered fully with no complication after intravenous treatment using acyclovir. Earlier reports have described that herpes zoster (HZ) rashes caused by vaccine-strain VZV tend to occur on the dermis corresponding to the skin area where the varicella vaccine was received. However, rashes appeared on this girl only in the trigeminal nerve area, which is unrelated to the vaccinated site. Results underscore the importance of distinguishing vaccine-strain VZV from wild-type VZV whenever encountering HZ cases after vaccination, even in immunocompetent children, irrespective of the skin lesion site. Monitoring vaccine-strain HZ incidence rates is expected to elucidate many aspects of varicella vaccine safety.