Detection of several serum factors in neonatal gonococcal conjunctivitis and its clinical significance

Objective: To investigate the changes of the levels of serum inflammatory factors, high sensitivity CReactive Protein (hs-CRP) and complement Component 3 (C3) and Component 4 (C4) in neonates with Neonatal Gonococcal Conjunctivitis (NGC), and to explore the clinical significance. Methods: Thirty-two neonates with NGC including 14 boys and 18 girls (3 d to 6 d old) were selected in the Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University to serve as experimental group, at the same time 32 healthy neonates (16 boys and 16 girls) with the same age distribution were also selected to serve as control group. There were no significant differences in age, gender and other basic information between two groups. Venous blood (2 ml) was extracted from all neonates with NGC and healthy neonates before and 3 d after the beginning of treatment, and on the day of discharge to prepare serum sample. Levels of hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, C3 and C4 were detected by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Results: Before treatment, levels of serum hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, C3 and C4 in neonates with NGC were significantly higher than those in healthy neonates. With the progress of treatment, levels of hsCRP, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, C3 and C4 were gradually reduced to reach normal level. Correlation analysis showed that levels of serum IL-6, C3 and C4 were positively correlated with the serum levels of hs-CRP. Conclusion: Levels of serum hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, C3 and C4 were closely correlated with the development of NGC, and the detection of those factors can provide valuable information for the