Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is usually defined as a need for supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks after conception. Functional data on endothelin-1 action suggests that endothelin-1 is not only a marker but also a mediator of respiratory disease in newborn infants including BPD.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of endothiline-1 as a biomarker that predicts early diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Patients and Methods: This study was conducted as prospective study in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Zagazig University Hospital, Zagazig, Egypt in the period between April 2018 and October 2018. The study included 39 preterm neonates, (22 males and 17 females) with gestational age of 28-35 weeks who were diagnosed as having respiratory distress syndrome based on clinical and radiological findings.
Results: In the present study, cases group had significant lower gestational age 30.22 ± 1.81 week & birth weight 1.35 ± 0.22 Kg compared to the control group 34.58 ± 2.19 weeks & 1.69 ± 0.38 Kg respectively. In the present study, there was no significant difference between study and control groups as regards Apgar score at 1 & 5 minutes, gender and mode of delivery. Also, serum endothelin-1 level was done at day 3 of postnatal life and it was significantly higher in neonates who developed BPD later in life (435.29 ± 172.83 ng/l) compared to the control group with no BPD (304.32 ± 54.46 ng/l). Neutrophil count on day 3 of life was positively correlated with level of endothelin-1.
Conclusion: Our findings indicated that high serum levels of endothelin-1 at day 3 of life was associated with later development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.