Endotoxin-Binding Proteins Are Low in Cord Blood of Healthy and Septic Preterm Infants

Background. Endotoxin binding proteins - lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), soluble CD14 (sCD14), bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) - modulate inflammatory host response. There are no data on LBP and BPI in preterm infants .Hypothesis. Concentrations of LBP, BPI, sCD14 are low in healthy preterm neonates and in early-onset sepsis. Methods. LBP, sCD14, BPI were measured (ELISA) in cord blood of healthy preterm (< 30 weeks GA) and term infants and preterm infants with early onset sepsis (pos. blood culture/intra partum antibiotics + clinical signs+CRP/I:T ratio).Results. (median, min-max) Table

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Conclusion sCD14 and LBP are low in cord blood of healthy preterm neonates. In early onset sepsis LBP was only 5 times higher than in healthy preterms (20 fold in adult sepsis, Froon, JID 1995). Low concentrations of endotoxin-binding proteins may contribute to the susceptibility of preterm infants to sepsis.