Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common complication of prematurity with a multifactorial
etiology, influenced by both genetic susceptibility and environmental factors on the
immature lung. Fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 and -4 (FGFR-3 and FGFR-4) are
abundantly expressed in both the epithelium and mesenchyme in the developing mammalian
lung. FGFR-4 may play a role in developing BPD as it is associated with airway inflammation
and remodeling; studies showed a link between BPD and a polymorphism in the FGFR-4 gene. The aim of this study was to study the significance of FGFR-4 in developing
BPD and to investigate the correlation between its serum level and its genetic polymorphism
in relation to development of BPD in preterms. This case–control study was performed
on 80 preterm neonates (<32 weeks) divided into two groups: group I included 50 preterms
with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) who developed BPD and group II included 30
preterms with RDS only. The mean serum level of FGFR-4 was significantly lower in
group I than in group II (p-value < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the serum levels of FGFR-4
and the degree of severity of BPD. Allele variation in the FGFR-4 gene was similar in both groups. The serum level of FGFR-4 was significantly lower
in preterms with BPD, although the gene polymorphism was not significantly different
in the studied groups.
Keywords
bronchopulmonary dysplasia - genetic polymorphism - fibroblast growth factor receptor-4
