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The following is a summary of “Association of cord blood Ang-1 and sCD105 levels with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants,” published in the July 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Yang et al.

This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between cord blood levels of Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and S-endoglin (sCD105) and the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.

The study involved 61 preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between July 2021 and September 2022. Cord blood samples were collected immediately after birth, and the levels of Ang-1 and sCD105 were measured using the vascular endothelial growth factor enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The infants were categorized into two groups: those with BPD and those without BPD. The study compared the levels of Ang-1 and sCD105 between these groups. Additionally, a binary logistic regression model was employed to assess the association between varying levels of Ang-1 and the risk of developing BPD in preterm infants.

Among the 61 preterm infants, 20 (32.8%) were diagnosed with BPD, while 41 (67.2%) did not develop BPD. The study found that Ang-1 levels were significantly lower in the BPD group compared to the non-BPD group, with median levels of 7,105.43 pg/ml (range: 5,617.01–8,523.00 pg/ml) versus 10,488.03 pg/ml (range: 7,946.19–15962.77 pg/ml), respectively (P = 0.027). However, the sCD105 levels did not show a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.246). The median Ang-1 concentration calculated was 8800.40 pg/ml. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for gestational age, birth weight, and maternal prenatal steroid hormone use, revealed that preterm infants with Ang-1 concentrations ≤ 8800.40 pg/ml had a significantly higher risk of developing BPD compared to those with concentrations > 8800.40 pg/ml (odds ratio: 8.577; 95% confidence interval: 1.265–58.155; P = 0.028).

The study indicates a significant association between lower Ang-1 levels in cord blood and an increased risk of BPD in preterm infants. These findings suggest that Ang-1 could potentially serve as a biomarker for predicting the risk of BPD. Future research with larger sample sizes is warranted to further validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-024-04932-7