TY - JOUR T1 - Early increase of TNFα and IL-6 in tracheobronchial aspirate fluid indicator of subsequent chronic lung disease in preterm infants JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition JO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed SP - F198 LP - F201 DO - 10.1136/fn.77.3.F198 VL - 77 IS - 3 AU - Baldvin Jónsson AU - Kjell Tullus AU - Annelie Brauner AU - Ying Lu AU - Gerd Noack Y1 - 1997/11/01 UR - http://fn.bmj.com/content/77/3/F198.abstract N2 - AIM To investigate if early changes in concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in tracheobronchial aspirate fluid (TAF) from preterm infants could be used to detect infants at risk of chronic lung disease (CLD) and help in the selection of patients for early steroid treatment. METHODS Twenty eight preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation (median 26 weeks) were intubated and daily measurements of TAF concentrations of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and the interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 were made, using enzyme immunoassay techniques. RESULTS Seventeen of the infants developed CLD. The infants who developed CLD had significantly increased concentrations of TNFα, IL-1ß, IL-6 on days 2 and 3. TNFα, IL-6, and IL-8 concentrations were significantly related to gestational age and duration of supplemental oxygen; TNFα, IL-6, and IL-8 concentrations also correlated with length of time on the ventilator. CONCLUSION These data indicate that tracheobronchial aspirate fluid cytokine concentrations may be used as a predictor of subsequent CLD and may help select a group of preterm infants at high risk of developing CLD for early treatment. ER -