Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) has been reported to inhibit signaling leading to the release of high mobility group box 1 protein, a damage-associated molecular pattern. The present study aimed to determine the longitudinal change in HRG levels in extremely preterm infants and assess whether complications such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) were associated with differences in HRG levels. In this multicenter, prospective, observational study, we measured serum HRG levels every 2 weeks from birth to 8 weeks of age. Serum HRG was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We included 19 extremely preterm infants in the study and 74 samples were analyzed. The median gestational age was 26.0 weeks, and the median birth weight was 858 g. Serum HRG levels showed a significant upward trend after birth (p < 0.001); median HRG concentrations at birth and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age were 1.07, 1.11, 2.86, 6.05, and 7.49 µg/mL, respectively. Onset of BPD was not associated with differences in serum HRG levels. Further, the serum HRG levels increased significantly after birth in extremely preterm infants.
Keywords: bronchopulmonary dysplasia; extremely preterm infants; high mobility group box 1; histidine-rich glycoprotein; longitudinal measurement; mixed-effects model.