Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a form of chronic lung disease that develops in neonates as a consequence of preterm birth and arrested fetal lung development. The incidence of BPD remains on the rise, as a result of increasing survival of extremely preterm infants. Severe BPD contributes to significant health care costs and is associated with prolonged hospitalizations, respiratory infections, and neurodevelopmental deficits. In this study, we aimed to detect novel biomarkers of severe BPD. We collected tracheal aspirates (TA) from preterm babies with mild/moderate (n = 8) and severe (n = 17) BPD, and we profiled the expression of 1048 miRNAs using a PCR array. Associations with biological pathways were determined with the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software. We found 31 miRNAs differentially expressed between the two disease groups (2-fold change, FDR < 0.05). Of these, 4 miRNAs displayed significantly higher expression levels, and 27 miRNAs had significantly lower expression levels in the severe BPD vs. the mild/moderate BPD group. IPA identified cell signaling and inflammation pathways associated with miRNA signatures. We conclude that TAs of extreme premature infants contain miRNA signatures associated with severe BPD. These signatures may serve as biomarkers of disease severity in infants with BPD.
Influence of time under mechanical ventilation on bronchopulmonary dysplasia severity in extremely preterm infants: a pilot study
