Background
Newborn pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious neonatal disease even with modern mechanical ventilation modes has a high mortality rate. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a novel biomarker release from endothelial vascular cells and macrophages with a crucial role in cell proliferation and angiogenesis regulation. However, in all neonatal intensive care units (NICU) echocardiography may not always be readily available. So our work aimed to to assess serum level of PTX3 in PAH newborns.

Method
This is a case-control study had performed on 36 neonates divided into 3 groups; healthy neonates ( I), congenital heart disease without PAH (II), and with PAH (III). All neonates were subjected to full clinical examination. Systemic diagnosis of CHD and PAH was made using echocardiography machine. All participants were referred for measurement of PTX3 Level.
Results
There was no significant difference among the 3 groups with respect to demographic characteristics; age (P = 0.292), and birth weight (P = 0.345). PTX3 levels in PAH group was significantly higher than CHD-without PH and healthy groups (8.08 ± 0.69 vs. 5.47 ± 0.98 and 2.71 ± 0.48 ng/mL, respectively). No significant correlation was found between PTX3 concentrations and cardiac ejection fractions between group I & II. However, a significant +ve correlation was detected between PTX3 concentrations and heart rate or respiratory rate among these two groups.

Conclusion
Serum PTX3 level is significantly higher in PAH neonates, hence it may be regarded as a new adjuvant diagnostic tool for the early assessment of PAH in neonates.