Abstract
Background: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is an important cause of death in premature infants. This study aimed to assess the association of the umbilical cord plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and erythropoietin (EPO) with the occurrence and severity of IVH in premature infants.
Methods: Fifty premature newborns of mothers with chorioamnionitis risk factor were selected via nonprobability sampling. The concentration of the cord plasma’s IL-6 and erythropoietin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for 3 days. Finally, all samples underwent sonography for the diagnosis of IVH. Results analyzed statistically.
Results: Among the samples, 68.98% of them were diagnosed with IVH grade 1. The most severe IVH cases were detected on the second day. The mean and standard deviation of IL-6 level was 74.71 ± 50.53 in the case group and 24.10 ± 46.10 in the control group. There was a correlation between IL-6 levels and IVH (p = 0.0005). The mean and standard deviation of EPO level was 18.38 ± 15.23 in the IVH group and 6.45 ± 13.48 in samples without IVH. A correlation was detected between EPO level and IVH (p = 0.005).
Conclusion: The concentration of IL-6 and EPO levels of the cord plasma was higher in the premature newborns with IVH.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.