View clinical trials related to Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC).
Filter by:Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) are common devastating gastrointestinal diseases in premature infants. These infants often need surgical intervention to remove the dead bowel and create temporary enterostomies, resulting in short bowel syndrome (SBS), a malabsorption state due to insufficient bowel length or dysfunction to digest and absorb nutrients adequately. These infants are often nourished primarily with parental nutrition (PN) which can lead to many complications including PN-associated liver disease. However, with enteral feeding, the remaining bowel can adapt somewhat to the shortened state, reducing the need for PN. Enteral fats appear to be the most trophic macronutrients with the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) being the most beneficial in promoting bowel adaptation. Fish oil (FO), a main source of n-3 LCPUFA, has been shown to promote bowel adaptation. Microlipid (ML) primarily contains n-6 PUFA and has been found to decrease ostomy output and increase weight gain in some SBS infants. WThe investigators will soon have completed a randomized clinical trial (EMLFO trial) (WFUHS IRB00011501, NCT01306838) entitled "Early Supplementation of Enteral Lipid with Combination of Microlipid and Fish Oil in Infants with Enterostomies". The preliminary data suggest that (a) by supplementing enteral ML/FO, we were able to decrease the use of IL; (b) premature infants in the treatment group who received ML/FO achieved higher enteral calorie (% of total calorie) intake before reanastomosis and better weight gain (g/day) after reanastomosis than those who received routine care in control group; and (c) the direct bilirubin level before reanastomosis tended to be lower in the treatment group than the control group although the difference was not statistically significant. Because the intervention consisted of both an increase in enteral fat intake as well as a specific type of fat intake (i.e. FO), it is unclear whether improved outcomes in the ML/FO group are attributable to FO's anti-inflammatory effects or the increased fat intake. Therefore, the investigators have designed a next randomized clinical trial to compare ML alone versus ML plus FO. We hypothesize that as compared to ML alone, ML plus FO will result in decreased systemic inflammation, as indicated by blood levels of inflammation-related proteins and indicators of oxidative stress.
This is a prospective in vitro cell biology study of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) protein synthesis in response to PAF. PMNs from cord blood of premature human infants at risk for NEC (birth weight between 501 - 1500 grams) and PMNs from cord blood of healthy term infants will be isolated and stimulated with PAF, a biologically active phospholipid implicated in the pathogenesis of NEC. NEC, a disease of prematurity with an incidence of 10.1% of infants born weighing between 501 - 1500 grams, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We will compare the protein synthesis of inflammatory modulators, including Interleukin 6 Receptor alpha (IL-6R alpha) and Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha (RAR alpha) proteins to protein synthesis responses already observed in PMNs isolated from healthy adults. Furthermore, we will characterize the expression and activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) translational protein synthesis control pathway in PMNs isolated from preterm and term infants and compare those results with previous observations in PMNs isolated from adults. This pathway is known to regulate IL-6R alpha and RAR alpha protein expression in PMNs isolated from adults. We will also follow those premature infants at risk for NEC clinically to determine which infants develop NEC and what risk factors may be associated with NEC in this population.