Plasma Level of Apelin as a Promising Factor for Retinopathy of Prematurity

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance of plasma levels of apelin and other risk factors in infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Methods: This was a single-center cross-sectional study. Fifty preterm infants with ROP and 50 preterm infants without ROP were enrolled. The analysis included evaluation of gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), and measurement of plasma concentrations of apelin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), erythropoietin (EPO), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The mean BW and GA of babies with ROP were considerably lower than those without ROP (p < 0.001, p = 0.003, respectively). Plasma levels of VEGF, EPO, and IGF-1 were all lower in babies with ROP (all p < 0.001), while plasma apelin levels were greater (p < 0.001). We compared the sensitivity and selected the best cut-offs while keeping the specificity constant (80.0%). Among all the criteria, plasma apelin levels had the best sensitivity (72%), with the cut-off of 21.08 pg/mL. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that the plasma level of apelin was the only parameter associated with ROP (p = 0.02, OR = 16, 95% CI: 1.54–166.53). The area under the curve of the multivariable regression model that comprised GA, BW alone was 0.67, while that of the model that included apelin was 0.90. Conclusions: Plasma apelin level demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity with regard to the association of ROP; the inclusion of apelin may be a promising factor to include in screening criteria.