Intravitreal Bevacizumab Is Associated With Prolonged Ventilatory Support in Preterm Infants With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB), an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, is a widely adopted treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Although animal studies have demonstrated that IVB inhibits alveologenesis in neonatal rat lung, the clinical influence of IVB on respiratory outcomes has not been studied. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does IVB affect the respiratory outcome in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants admitted to our neonatal ICU between January 2016 and June 2021. Furthermore, we evaluated the short-term respiratory outcomes after IVB therapy in VLBW preterm infants requiring ventilatory support at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA). RESULTS: One hundred seventy-four VLBW preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia were recruited. Eighty-eight infants showed ROP onset before being ventilator free, and 78 infants received a diagnosis of the most severe ROP before being ventilator free. Among them, 32 received a diagnosis with type 1 ROP and received IVB treatment. After adjusting for gestational age, birth body weight, and baseline respiratory status, we discovered that IVB is associated significantly with prolonged ventilatory support and a lower likelihood of becoming ventilator free (hazard ratio, 0.53; P = .03). INTERPRETATION: IVB may have a short-term respiratory adverse effect in patients requiring ventilatory support at 36 weeks' PMA. Therefore, long-term follow-up for respiratory outcomes may be considered in VLBW infants who receive IVB treatment.

Bilirubin level 1 week after hepatoportoenterostomy predicts native liver survival in biliary atresia.

BACKGROUND: To determine a very early predictive biomarker after hepatoportoenterostomy (HPE) for the prediction of native liver survival in biliary atresia (BA) patients. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of BA patients in our hospital between August 2000 and April 2019. The serum total bilirubin (T-bil), direct bilirubin, and gamma-glutamyl transferase level 1 week after HPE were analyzed. The clinical outcome predictors were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 90 BA patients were recruited. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a post-HPE 1-week T-bil level ≤4.85 mg/dL predicted jaundice-free after HPE (P = 0.02). BA patients with a post-HPE 1-week T-bil ≤4.85 mg/dL were more likely to be jaundice-free within 3 months of HPE (odds ratio = 3.53; P = 0.006). Kaplan-Meier plot analysis showed that the likelihood of native liver survival and jaundice-free native liver survival were significantly higher in BA subjects with a post-HPE 1-week T-bil ≤4.85 mg/dL than in other subjects (P = 0.01 and 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The serum post-HPE 1-week T-bil level may predict the long-term outcome in BA patients. A post-HPE 1-week T-bil ≤4.85 mg/dL correlated with better native liver survival and jaundice-free native liver survival in BA patients.