LEVELS OF SERUM ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES IN INFECTIOUS PROCESSES OF PRETERM INFANTS WITH PERINATAL ENCEPHALOPATHY

Abstract

The article discusses the results of a study conducted to investigate the levels of antimicrobial peptides (defensins, cathelicidins, calprotectin, and lactoferrin) in the blood of preterm newborns with perinatal encephalitis and unspecified or undifferentiated infections. The study included preterm infants with perinatal encephalitis as well as those born with this pathology and unspecified or undifferentiated infections. The research revealed that the blood levels of defensins, cathelicidins, and calprotectin were lower in preterm newborns compared to full-term infants. It was demonstrated that in full-term infants with perinatal encephalitis complicated by infection, the concentrations of defensins, cathelicidins, calprotectin, and lactoferrin were significantly higher than in infants born with this pathology. An increase in antimicrobial peptides in newborns indicates the activation of inflammatory processes and innate immunity against infections. Following antibiotic therapy, a significant decrease in antimicrobial peptide levels was observed.