start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=65 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=276 end-page=281 dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=202405 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Postnatal longitudinal analysis of serum nitric oxide and eosinophil counts in extremely preterm infants en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Background: Nitric oxide (NO) may be related to the pathogenesis of several morbidities in extremely preterm infants, including late-onset adrenal insufficiency. However, eosinophilia is observed under pathological conditions with adrenal insufficiency. Therefore, this study explored postnatal changes in NO levels and eosinophil counts in extremely preterm infants with and without morbidities.
Methods: Nineteen extremely preterm infants with a median gestational age of 27.0 weeks and median birth weight of 888 g were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and peripheral blood eosinophil counts were measured at birth and every 2 weeks thereafter. Morbidities of the study group were diagnosed using a single criterion.
Results: Serum NOx levels (mean ± standard deviation) were 22.5 ± 14.9 μmol/L, 51.2 ± 23.7 μmol/L, 42.4 ± 15.2 μmol/L, and 33.8 ± 9.4 μmol/L at birth and 2, 4, and 6 weeks of age, respectively. The serum NOx level at 2 weeks of age was significantly higher than that at birth and 6 weeks of age. Eosinophil counts, which increase with adrenal insufficiency, were measured simultaneously and were 145 ± 199/μL, 613 ± 625/μL, 466 ± 375/μL, and 292 ± 228/μL at birth and 2, 4, and 6 weeks of age, respectively. These values showed that the eosinophil count was significantly higher at 2 weeks of age than at birth and 6 weeks of age. The serum NOx level of infants without chorioamnionitis was significantly increased at 4 weeks of age, and the eosinophil count of infants with necrotizing enterocolitis was significantly increased at 2 weeks of age. No correlation with the NOx level or eosinophil count was observed in infants with late-onset circulatory collapse.
Conclusion: The postnatal serum NOx level and eosinophil count were significantly correlated with each other and peaked at 2 weeks of age. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=WatanabeHirokazu en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Hirokazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=WashioYosuke en-aut-sei=Washio en-aut-mei=Yosuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=TamaiKei en-aut-sei=Tamai en-aut-mei=Kei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MorimotoDaisaku en-aut-sei=Morimoto en-aut-mei=Daisaku kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=OkamuraTomoka en-aut-sei=Okamura en-aut-mei=Tomoka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshimotoJunko en-aut-sei=Yoshimoto en-aut-mei=Junko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakanishiHidehiko en-aut-sei=Nakanishi en-aut-mei=Hidehiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=KageyamaMisao en-aut-sei=Kageyama en-aut-mei=Misao kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchiyamaAtsushi en-aut-sei=Uchiyama en-aut-mei=Atsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsukaharaHirokazu en-aut-sei=Tsukahara en-aut-mei=Hirokazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=KusudaSatoshi en-aut-sei=Kusuda en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Neonatology, Okayama Medical Center, National Hospital Organization kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Neonatology, Maternal and Perinatal Center, Tokyo Women’s Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Neonatology, Okayama Medical Center, National Hospital Organization kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Neonatology, Maternal and Perinatal Center, Tokyo Women’s Medical University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Department of Neonatology, Maternal and Perinatal Center, Tokyo Women’s Medical University kn-affil= en-keyword=eosinophils kn-keyword=eosinophils en-keyword=extremely preterm infant kn-keyword=extremely preterm infant en-keyword=nitric oxide kn-keyword=nitric oxide en-keyword=relative adrenal insufficiency kn-keyword=relative adrenal insufficiency END