Predicting onset of chronic lung disease using cord blood cytokines

Background Applicability of cord blood interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) as markers for early prediction of the onset of chronic lung disease (CLD) due to intrauterine infection was investigated in the present study. Methods Eighty very low‐birthweight infants with chorioamnionitis were divided into two groups: the CLD group (42 patients) and the non‐CLD group (38 patients), according to the presence or absence of CLD, and the clinical background and cord blood IL‐6 and IL‐8 levels in each group were compared and investigated. Results The CLD group had significantly longer duration of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization (P < 0.05) and significantly higher IL‐6 and IL‐8 (P < 0.01) than the non‐CLD group. Using the receiver operating characteristic curves of CLD onset for both IL‐6 and IL‐8, the cut‐off value of IL‐6 for predicting onset of CLD was 48.0 pg/mL, and its sensitivity and specificity were 76% and 96%, respectively. The cut‐off value for IL‐8 was 66.0 pg/mL, and its sensitivity and specificity were 71% and 82%, respectively. Conclusion The cord blood levels of both IL‐6 and IL‐8 were significantly higher in the CLD group, indicating that both IL‐6 and IL‐8 are useful predictors of onset of CLD.