PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Curley, A E
AU  - Sweet, D G
AU  - MacMahon, K J
AU  - O’Connor, C M
AU  - Halliday, H L
TI  - Chorioamnionitis increases matrix metalloproteinase-8 concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from preterm babies
AID  - 10.1136/fn.89.1.F61
DP  - 2004 Jan 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
PG  - F61--F64
VI  - 89
IP  - 1
4099  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/89/1/F61.short
4100  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/89/1/F61.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2004 Jan 01; 89
AB  - Objective: To determine the effects of chorioamnionitis and antenatal corticosteroids on matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from preterm babies in the first week of life. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Regional neonatal intensive care unit. Patients: Thirty five ventilated preterm babies < 33 weeks gestation, seven of whom were born after chorioamnionitis, which was diagnosed histologically as the presence of inflammatory cells in the chorioamnionic plate. Methods: MMP-8 was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 90 serial BAL samples taken during the first six postnatal days. The median MMP-8 concentration for each baby was calculated. Results: Median MMP-8 concentrations were higher in the chorioamnionitis group than in those without (43 v 5 ng/ml). Partial or complete courses of antenatal corticosteroids had no effect on MMP-8 concentrations. Conclusions: Higher concentrations of MMP-8 are found in BAL fluid from preterm babies from pregnancies complicated by chorioamnionitis. This type I collagenase may contribute to the lung injury that occurs in some babies with respiratory distress syndrome.