Glucocorticoid receptor expression pattern in very low-birth weight infants changes drastically within the first week of life

Introduction We herein examined changes in expression levels of the glucocorticoid receptor subtypes GR α and GRβ in very low-birth weight (VLBW) and term infants to clarify time-dependent changes in glucocorticoid sensitivity after birth. Methods Whole blood samples were collected at birth and on postnatal days 4 to 7, and the mRNA expression levels of GRα and GRβ were measured using RT-qPCR. T he relative gene expression levels of GRα and GRβ as the target genes normalized to actin beta as the endogenous control were calculated by the comparative cycle threshold method. Results The GRα/GRβ expression ratio at birth was significantly lower in 32 VLBW cesarean section (CS) infants tha n in term planned CS infants (median (IQR), 1.5 (1.1-1.8)- and 1.1 (0.7-1.6)-fold change, p
Source: Hormone Research in Paediatrics - Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research