Hypermethylation of CTDSPL2 prior to necrotizing enterocolitis onset.

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in preterm infants. Epigenetic changes in DNA methylation may be present prior to NEC onset. Methods: 24 preterm infants with NEC and 45 matched controls were included. Human DNA was isolated from stool samples and methylation of CTDSPL2, HERC1, NXPE3 and PTGDR was measured using pyrosequencing. Results: CTDSPL2 displayed a higher DNA methylation of 51% compared with 17% in controls, prior to NEC onset (p = 0.047). Discussion: Noninvasive measurement of methylation in stool allows for comparison with healthy preterm controls. This potentially allows future biomarker or risk predictor use. The effect of CTDSPL2 hypermethylation on gene expression remains unclear.

What is this article about? Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common emergency condition affecting the gastrointestinal system of preterm infants. Epigenetic changes in DNA methylation may be present in infants before the onset of NEC. DNA methylation is a natural process that can help turn genes on or off, thereby affecting their function. This study focused on measuring the amount of DNA methylation in certain genes in preterm infants who developed NEC. What were the results? This study included 24 preterm infants with NEC and 45 matched healthy controls. The researchers isolated human DNA from stool samples, and the amount of DNA methylation of four specific genes was measured. They found that one of the genes, CTDSPL2, had significantly higher DNA methylation in infants who later developed NEC than in healthy infants. What do the results of the study mean? In this study, researchers found that CTDSPL2 showed a higher level of DNA methylation in stool samples of infants who later developed NEC. The effect of this change remains unclear, but may affect the way cells grow and respond to injury or infection, which could contribute to the development of NEC. Measuring DNA methylation in stool samples provides a noninvasive method for identifying DNA methylation changes in preterm infants. Comparing the amount of DNA methylation in healthy infants with that in preterm infants at risk of NEC may help predict the risk of developing NEC.

Cerebral oxygen saturation during the first 72h after birth in infants diagnosed prenatally with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in infants with congenital heart disease already occurs during early life. The aim of our study was, therefore, to assess the course of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rcSO2) and fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) during the first 72h after birth in infants with prenatally diagnosed duct-dependent congenital heart disease. In addition, we identified clinical parameters that were associated with rcSO2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 56 infants with duct-dependent congenital heart disease. We measured arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and rcSO2 during the first 72h after birth. Simultaneously, we calculated FTOE. RESULTS: We observed median rcSO2 values of approximately 60%, a decreasing FTOE from 0.34 on day 1 to 0.28 on day 3 and stable preductal SpO2 values around 90%. Several clinical variables were associated with rcSO2. In a multiple linear regression model only type of CHD and preductal SpO2 were significant predictors of rcSO2 during the first three days after birth. Infants with a duct-dependent pulmonary circulation had up to 12% lower rcSO2 values than infants with a duct-dependent systemic circulation. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that, during the first three days after birth, cerebral oxygen saturation is low in infants with duct-dependent congenital heart disease. Furthermore, this study provides preoperative reference values of rcSO2 and FTOE in infants with duct-dependent CHD.