Abstract
Background
There is a lack of reliable biomarkers to predict future lung morbidity following bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Relative telomere length (RTL) is a biomarker for oxidative stress and the chitinase-like protein YKL-40 is a novel biomarker associated with airway remodeling and vascular smooth muscle proliferation, all of which may contribute to impaired lung function following BPD.
Aim
To investigate the relationship between RTL, YKL-40 and lung function in school age children with a history of BPD.
Methods
A cohort study of 10 year old children born preterm with BPD (n=29, mean gestational age 27 weeks) and control children (CON) born at term (n=28) with a history of asthma. All children performed lung function testing (dynamic and static spirometry). RTL was determined in whole blood by real-time PCR. Serum levels of YKL-40 was analyzed by ELISA.
Results
Serum YKL-40 was higher in BPD compared to CON, p=0.002. RTL was similar between groups, but in children with BPD there was a correlation between shorter RTL and higher levels of serum YKL-40 (r=0,47, p=0,01). Dynamic spirometry showed significantly lower values in BPD children, but lung function did not correlate to YKL-40 or RTL.
Conclusions
Short telomeres correlated to higher levels of YKL-40 suggesting a more severe structural lung disease may be associated with genetic alterations in children growing up with BPD. High levels of YKL-40 suggests an involvement of fibrosis in BPD and the correlation to RTL indicate that oxidative stress may play a part. This study indicate that YKL-40 and telomere length could be future biomarkers to predict the long-term consequences of BPD.
- © 2014 ERS