Severe retinopathy of prematurity is associated with early post-natal low platelet count

Raffaele Parrozzani,Giulia Marchione,Silvia Bini,Edoardo Midena,Sabrina Salvadori,Elisabetta Beatrice Nacci,Daniel Nardo

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-79535-0

Abstract

Pathophysiology of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) still presents a gap. Lately blood tests parameters of premature infants have been measured at different times of ROP, attempting to detect correlations with ROP development and progression. So far, very early post-natal biomarkers, predictive of ROP outcome, have not been detected. Our purpose is to evaluate, in the earliest post birth blood sample, the correlation between routinely dosed blood parameters and ROP outcome. 563 preterm babies, screened according to ROP guidelines, were included and classified in conformity with ET-ROP study in “Group 1” (ROP needing treatment), “Group 2” (ROP spontaneously regressed) and “noROP” group (never developed ROP). The earliest (within an hour after delivery) blood test parameters routinely dosed in each preterm infant were collected. Platelet count was decreased in Group 1 versus noROP group (p = 0.0416) and in Group 2 versus noROP group (p = 0.1093). The difference of thrombocytopenic infants among groups was statistically significant (p = 0.0071). CRP was higher in noROP versus all ROPs (p = 0.0331). First post-natal blood sample revealed a significant thrombocytopenia in ROP needing treatment, suggesting a role of platelets in the pathophysiology and progression of ROP, possibly considering it as a predictive parameter of ROP evolution.

Highlights

Pathophysiology of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) still presents a gap
For the purpose of this study, infants were divided into three groups: “Group 1” included all infants affected by ROPs that required treatment, such as type 1 ROP and aggressive posterior ROP (AP-ROP); “Group 2”, that included all infants who were classified as Type 2 ROP and mild ROPs18 and all underwent self-regression; “no ROP” group included infants who never developed any form of ROP
Mean birth weight (BW) at birth was 1083.8 ± 329.62 (See details of the ROP groups in Table 1). 104 (18.47%) children were classified as small for gestational age (SGA).[196] (36.6%) infants developed any form of ROP, 52 developed severe ROP (Type 1 or AP-ROP: 9.2% of the total population and 25.2% of those who developed any ROP)

Summary

Introduction

Pathophysiology of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) still presents a gap. Lately blood tests parameters of premature infants have been measured at different times of ROP, attempting to detect correlations with ROP development and progression. First post-natal blood sample revealed a significant thrombocytopenia in ROP needing treatment, suggesting a role of platelets in the pathophysiology and progression of ROP, possibly considering it as a predictive parameter of ROP evolution. Some blood tests parameters of premature infants have been investigated to detect possible correlations with ROP development and p rogression[9,10,11,12,13,14,15] These parameters were most often measured at different time point of ROP natural history, but very early postnatal biomarkers, possibly predictive of ROP outcome have not clearly been detected yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate in the earliest post birth blood sample, the correlation between routinely dosed blood parameters and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) outcome in a preterm population

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion