Abstract
Background: Antenatal inflammation is associated with the
increasingly severe and negative neurological findings of neonatal
ecephalopathy (NE). A reduction in antenatal inflammation reduces
neurological damage. The effect of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) on
inflammation is not clear and remains the subject of research.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the inflammatory
cell response in NE cases treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH).
Methods: The study included a total of 102 cases, 51 cases
diagnosed with perinatal asphyxia and a control group of 51 healthy
newborns. Blood samples were taken before TH treatment and at the 24th
and 72th hours of treatment in patients with perinatal asphyxia. In the
control group, blood samples were taken in the first 6 hours
postnatally.
Results: In the asphytic group, mean leukocyte
(p<0.001), neutrophil (p<0.001), and lymphocyte
(p=0. 014) values within the first 6 hours were significantly higher
than those of the control group. The specificity for leukocyte,
neutrophil and lymphocyte (measured before TH) was 80.4%, 88.2% and
60.8%, and sensitivity was 84.3%, 88.2% and 62.7%, respectively. The
mean leukocyte, thrombocyte, and neutrophil values during the first 6
hours after delivery were significantly higher than the mean values at
the 24th and 72nd hours after TH (p<0.001), and the mean
platelet volume values were significantly lower (p<0.001).
Conclusion: High leukocyte, neutrophil and lymphocyte values
and low thrombocyte count in the first 6 hours of life may be an early
sign of perinatal asphyxia and can be used as a marker to start
treatment. It is thought that by decreasing the number of inflammatory
cells, therapeutic hypothermia reduces the severity of encephalopathy
and potentially negative results.