Abstract
Background Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute phase protein with antioxidant, bacteriostatic, and
anti-inflammatory activities. Hp proteins associated with the three major phenotypes
differ in their proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory action. Inflammation and oxidative
stress are both involved in most pathophysiological processes in premature infants.
The objective of this study was to determine whether Hp phenotype influences clinical
manifestations and sepsis incidence in the premature infants.
Objective Infants born before 35 weeks gestational age were prospectively evaluated for Hp
phenotype and clinical events, including sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary
dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, and retinopathy of prematurity. The participants
were observed until discharge.
Methods A total of 122 preterm infants were enrolled in the study. Clinical events were not
affected by the Hp phenotype. The expression of Hp protein was extremely low in the
study population. More septic episodes were found in infants with a birth weight greater
than 1,500 g, although, the difference was not statistically significant.
Results Extremely low expression of Hp may explain the lack of a correlation between Hp phenotype
and sepsis in preterm infants. Further research involving a larger neonatal population
is required to better understand the role of the Hp phenotype in morbidity of premature
infants.
Keywords
haptoglobin phenotypes - inflammation - sepsis - preterm infants
