Inflammatory Cytokine Quantification in Infants

Inflammatory Cytokine Quantification in Infants With Documented Sepsis, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and/or ECMO Therapy

This study proposes to quantify inflammatory cytokine profiles in three neonatal disease states, namely, neonatal sepsis, infants with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia defect, and infants suffering cardiopulmonary failure significant enough to require heart/lung bypass treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Very small blood samples (500 microliters) will be collected serially in these patients and analyzed with current cytokine array technology. A convenience sample of 60 patients, 20 with each of these diagnoses, will be collected over a 2 year period. These data will provide baseline information for possible therapeutic intervention with agents that enhance or suppress specific mediators, or adjust mediator balance to promote patient healing.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Gestational age ≥ 34 weeks,
• Indwelling vascular catheter available for blood draws,
• Documented culture positive sepsis on vasopressors , and/or
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), and/or
• ECMO therapy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other major congenital anomalies
• Lack of parental consent