SERUM CONCENTRATIONS OF 10 ACUTE-PHASE PROTEINS IN HEALTHY TERM AND PRETERM INFANTS FROM BIRTH TO AGE 6 MONTHS

Aiming to define the evolution pattern of 10 acute-phase proteins in e arly infancy, we measured nephelometrically the serum concentrations o f albumin, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein, transferrin, cerulopla smin, hemopexin, haptoglobin, alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein, alpha(2)-mac roglobulin, and alpha(1)-antitrypsin in 395 term and preterm infants ( gestational ages 26-41 weeks). Measurements were performed within 24 h after birth and then at the end of 1 (n = 171), 3 (n = 155), and 6 (n = 90) months afterwards. Data obtained from 250 healthy adults were u sed as adult reference values. All proteins increased progressively wi th postnatal age, except for alpha(1)-antitrypsin, which remained stab le from birth to the 6th month. Concentrations of almost all measured proteins were significantly lower in preterm than in term infants in t he first 3 months. Compared with adult values, alpha(2)-macroglobulin and alpha(1)-antitrypsin were higher in infants throughout the 6 month s. The other proteins were significantly lower at birth than adult val ues but after 6 months, only albumin, prealbumin, retinol-binding prot ein, and alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein still remained lower in infants. T hus both gestational and postnatal age should be considered when inter preting concentrations of these proteins in early infancy.