Early-onset neonatal sepsis: Cord blood cytokine levels at diagnosis and during treatment

Objective: to assess clinical and laboratory parameters and serum cytokine levels in 55 neonates who developed early-onset sepsis. methods: clinical parameters associated with early-onset neonatal sepsis were assessed. white blood cell differential and serum c-reactive protein and glucose levels were measured upon diagnosis of sepsis and 48 hours later. il-1β,il-10,il-6,and tnf-α levels were measured in cord blood samples obtained on the day of diagnosis and from samples collected 48 and 96 hours after treatment onset. results: among newborns with early-onset sepsis,the length of hospital stay was inversely correlated with birth weight. clinical parameters varied widely,especially body temperature. blood glucose changes - particularly hypoglycemia - were common. leukopenia,usually due to neutropenia,was the most prevalent change in blood cell count. c-reactive protein levels correlated with the immature-to-total neutrophil ratio. serum tnf-α and il-10 levels measured early in the course of sepsis were positively correlated with those detected in cord blood. conclusions: clinical and laboratory parameters varied widely among neonates with sepsis in this sample. in neonates who presented with increased cytokine levels at birth,this abnormality persisted throughout the infectious process. copyright © 2010 by sociedade brasileira de pediatria.