ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical risk factors of preterm infants and its severity in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).MethodsRetrospective clinical study was performed. A total of 126 preterm infants with BPD in the Neonatal Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2016 to December 2018 were enrolled in the study. Among them, 69 were males and 57 were females, whose gestational age＜32 weeks and birth weight＜1500 g. BPD grades Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ were 63, 40, and 23 cases respectively. According to the presence or absence of ROP, children were divided into ROP group and non-ROP group, with 48 (38.1%) and 78 (61.9%) cases respectively. The differences of clinical data between the two groups were compared and analyzed. Quantitative data comparison between groups was performed by t test, and count data comparison was performed by χ2 test. The risk factors of ROP in BPD premature infants were analyzed by multi-factor logistics regression. The correlation between BPD severity and ROP severity was tested by Spearman rank correlation test.ResultsCompared with the non-ROP group, the ROP group had a smaller gestational age (t=5.988), lower birth weight (t=7.371), higher the application rate of oxygen concentration＞30% (duration of service＞24 h), high rate (χ2=17.244) and longer noninvasive ventilation time (t=－7.139), the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05). In the logistic regression model, the noninvasive ventilation time was the risk factor for ROP in preterm infants with BPD (OR≈1.054, P＜0.05), while gestational age and birth weight were importantly protective factors for ROP in preterm infants with BPD (OR≈0.938, 0.996; P＜0.05). The results of the correlation analysis found that the severity of BPD was significantly positively correlated with the severity of ROP. As the severity of BPD increased, the severity of ROP increased, and the difference was statistically significant (rs=0.306, P＜0.035).ConclusionsFetal gestational age, low birth weight, hyperoxia, and long-term non-invasive mechanical ventilation are the main risk factors for ROP in preterm infants with BPD. The severity of BPD is positively correlated with the incidence and severity of ROP.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are common and critically important diseases of preterm infants. The common feature of both conditions is altered angiogenesis and pathological changes in the case of incomplete organ development. The interaction of multiple factors leads to abnormal angiogenesis, which not only increases the possibility of comorbidity of BPO and ROP, but also reveals the potential co-pathogenesis between the two. However, the specific mechanism of this angiogenic balance in the occurrence and development of BPD or ROP is still unclear, and there are no animal models to explore the pathogenesis of both diseases. At present, effective prevention measures for BPO and ROP are still lacking, and treatment methods mainly rely on drug therapy and surgery. In the future, more studies should be conducted to find common therapeutic targets for factors affecting angiogenesis, so as to provide better treatment options for BPD and ROP and improve the effectiveness of treatment.