Background/purpose: Because epidermal growth factor (EGF) is trophic to the intestinal mucosa, and neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is associated with a disrupted intestinal mucosal barrier, the authors sought to determine whether diminished levels of EGF were present in infants with NEC.
Methods: Saliva, serum, and urine specimens were obtained from infants with NEC during a 3-year period (February 1995 to May 1998). Control patients without NEC were chosen based on similar postnatal age and birthweight. EGF levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Differences between groups were compared using Mann-Whitney Rank sum test with P less than .05 considered significant. Results are presented as mean values +/-SEM.
Results: Twenty-five infants with NEC were compared with 19 control patients. Birth weight (1,616+/-238 g control v. 1,271+/-124 g NEC) and postnatal age (23+/-6 days control v. 22+/-3 days NEC) were similar. Infants with NEC had significantly lower levels of EGF in both saliva (590+/-80 pg/mL control v. 239+/-41 pg/mL NEC; P<.001) and serum (35+/-8 pg/mL control v. 5.6+/-1.9 pg/mL NEC; P<.001). Urinary EGF was also lower in the NEC group, but was not statistically significant.
Conclusions: Premature infants with NEC have significantly diminished levels of salivary and serum EGF. Reduced levels of this growth factor may distinguish infants at risk for NEC and play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the perturbed intestinal mucosal barrier that is central to this condition.