Sex and formula supplementation are correlates of fecal calprotectin in premature infants at 10-18 months corrected age.
- 1Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- 2Gusu College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- 3The Child Healthcare Department of Suzhou Hospital, Nanjing Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital), Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Abstract
Premature infants (PTI) risk gastrointestinal complications including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), impairing catch-up growth. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is an inflammation marker, but its long-term determinants in PTI remain unclear, and the atopic predisposition-FC association is unexplored. This study aimed to identify correlates of FC levels in PTI at 10-18 months corrected age (CA). It was hypothesized that birth weight, history of NEC, formula supplementation, length of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, constipation, and atopic predisposition are associated with FC levels. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital between June and August 2024. FC was measured using a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay. Values below the limit of detection were treated as left-censored and were handled by multiple imputation method after natural logarithmic transformation. Multiple linear regression with three parallel sensitivity models was performed to explore factors associated with FC levels. A total of 109 PTI at 10-18 months CA were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. In fully adjusted models, females showing higher FC levels than males and PTI who received formula supplementation within 6 months CA exhibited lower FC levels than those who received it after 6 months CA. Length of NICU hospitalization showed marginal association in adjusted model but did not survive Bonferroni correction nor sensitivity analyses. Birth weight displayed consistent positive direction across models, albeit with minimal effect size. Sex and formula supplementation within 6 months CA were correlates of FC levels in PTI at 10-18 months CA. The association with NICU hospitalization appears suggestive and requires further validation.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026formula,
title = {{Sex and formula supplementation are correlates of fecal calprotectin in premature infants at 10-18 months corrected age.}},
author = {Yaqi Liu and Yi Guo and Xiaoting Lu and Beiquan Li and Wenjing Chang and Kan Ye},
journal = {Frontiers in pediatrics},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fped.2026.1743276},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952869},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Sex and formula supplementation are correlates of fecal calprotectin in premature infants at 10-18 months corrected age.
AU - Yaqi Liu
AU - Yi Guo
AU - Xiaoting Lu
AU - Beiquan Li
AU - Wenjing Chang
AU - Kan Ye
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in pediatrics
DO - 10.3389/fped.2026.1743276
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952869
AB - Premature infants (PTI) risk gastrointestinal complications including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), impairing catch-up growth. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is an inflammation marker, but its long-term determinants in PTI remain unclear, and the atopic predisposition-FC association is unexplored. This study aimed to identify correlates of FC levels in PTI at 10-18 months corrected age (CA). It was hypothesized that birth weight, history of NEC, formula supplementation, length of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, constipation, and atopic predisposition are associated with FC levels. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital between June and August 2024. FC was measured using a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay. Values below the limit of detection were treated as left-censored and were handled by multiple imputation method after natural logarithmic transformation. Multiple linear regression with three parallel sensitivity models was performed to explore factors associated with FC levels. A total of 109 PTI at 10-18 months CA were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. In fully adjusted models, females showing higher FC levels than males and PTI who received formula supplementation within 6 months CA exhibited lower FC levels than those who received it after 6 months CA. Length of NICU hospitalization showed marginal association in adjusted model but did not survive Bonferroni correction nor sensitivity analyses. Birth weight displayed consistent positive direction across models, albeit with minimal effect size. Sex and formula supplementation within 6 months CA were correlates of FC levels in PTI at 10-18 months CA. The association with NICU hospitalization appears suggestive and requires further validation.
SN - 2296-2360
ER -