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Developmental Pattern of Urinary Epidermal Growth Factor in the Premature Infant and the Influence of Gender^*

Pediatric Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of New Mexico, University of New Mexico School of Medicine Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Susan M. Scott, Pediatric Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of New Mexico, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131.

We report the cross-sectional pattern of first day urinary epidermal growth factor/creatinine (EGF/Cr) levels in 159 appropriate for gestational age infants born at 26–41 weeks gestation. EGF/Cr levels rose significantly earlier in female infants than levels in male infants. In female infants levels were similar to term levels beginning at 30–32 weeks. Mean EGF/Cr levels in male infants were similar to term values beginning at 32–34 weeks. We could not demonstrate any influence from acute perinatal events on EGF/Cr levels.

In a subset of 28 infants, a weekly longitudinal study of urinary EGF/Cr levels was undertaken. The urinary EGF/Cr pattern correlated significantly with both corrected gestational and postnatal ages. A significant change in the EGF/Cr pattern was observed at a corrected gestational age of 32 weeks and at 4 weeks postnatal age. There was no significant difference in EGF/Cr levels between males and females.

Our results demonstrated a significant difference in first day urinary EGF/Cr levels between female and male preterm infants during the early third trimester. This difference was seen at a time in gestation when other gender-specific maturational and growth differences are noted. When infants born at less than 32 weeks gestational age were followed longitudinally, the urinary EGF/Cr pattern, when expressed by corrected gestational age, was significantly modified from that in the cross-sectional study.

^* This work was supported by Basic Research Grant 1–1034 from the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, Chronic Disease Grant 042–141–022–87 from the Flinn Foundation, and General Clinical Research Program, DRR, NIH 5-MOI-RR-00997–12.

Received May 14, 1990.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. M. Scott, C. Rogers, P. Angelus, and C. Backstrom Effect of Necrotizing Enterocolitis on Urinary Epidermal Growth Factor Levels Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, July 1, 1991; 145(7): 799 - 803. [Abstract] [PDF]