Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Although several clinical studies have analysed the relationship between the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and apelin-13 in venous blood and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), no definitive conclusions have been reached. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between apelin-13 levels and VEGF levels and ROP.
METHODS: Differences in plasma apelin-13 and VEGF levels were analysed in two groups of infants born with birth weight < 1500 g and gestational age < 32 weeks at Peking University People\' s Hospital. One group comprised infants diagnosed with ROP and the other group was a control group comprising infants without ROP.
RESULTS: Apelin-13 levels were significantly lower in the ROP group than in the control group, while VEGF levels showed the opposite result (both P < 0.001). Infants with severe ROP had lower apelin-13 levels and higher VEGF levels than with mild ROP (both P < 0.05).The receiver operating characteristic curve for apelin-13 level as the indicator of ROP showed that a cut-off value of 119.6 pg/mL yielded a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 63.6%, while for VEGF level, the cut-off value of 84.3 pg/mL exhibited a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 66.7%.
CONCLUSIONS: Plasma apelin-13 and VEGF levels at 4-6 weeks of age may play a role in assisting the diagnosis of ROP.
METHODS: Differences in plasma apelin-13 and VEGF levels were analysed in two groups of infants born with birth weight < 1500 g and gestational age < 32 weeks at Peking University People\' s Hospital. One group comprised infants diagnosed with ROP and the other group was a control group comprising infants without ROP.
RESULTS: Apelin-13 levels were significantly lower in the ROP group than in the control group, while VEGF levels showed the opposite result (both P < 0.001). Infants with severe ROP had lower apelin-13 levels and higher VEGF levels than with mild ROP (both P < 0.05).The receiver operating characteristic curve for apelin-13 level as the indicator of ROP showed that a cut-off value of 119.6 pg/mL yielded a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 63.6%, while for VEGF level, the cut-off value of 84.3 pg/mL exhibited a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 66.7%.
CONCLUSIONS: Plasma apelin-13 and VEGF levels at 4-6 weeks of age may play a role in assisting the diagnosis of ROP.
摘要：
背景：尽管一些临床研究已经分析了静脉血中血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）和apelin-13水平与早产儿视网膜病变（ROP）之间的关系，尚未得出明确的结论。本研究旨在探讨Apelin-13和VEGF水平与ROP的关系。
方法：分析北京大学人民医院出生体重<1500g、胎龄<32周的两组婴儿血浆apelin-13和VEGF水平的差异。一组包括诊断为ROP的婴儿，另一组是对照组，包括无ROP的婴儿。
结果:ROP组Apelin-13水平明显低于对照组,而VEGF水平显示出相反的结果（均P<0.001）。重度ROP患儿Apelin-13水平低于轻度ROP患儿，VEGF水平高于轻度ROP患儿（均P<0.05）。作为ROP指标的apelin-13水平的受试者工作特征曲线显示，119.6pg/mL的临界值产生84.8％的灵敏度和63.6％的特异性，而对于VEGF水平，截断值为84.3pg/mL,其敏感性为84.8%,特异性为66.7%.
结论：4-6周龄时血浆apelin-13和VEGF水平可能在辅助诊断ROP中起作用。
方法：分析北京大学人民医院出生体重<1500g、胎龄<32周的两组婴儿血浆apelin-13和VEGF水平的差异。一组包括诊断为ROP的婴儿，另一组是对照组，包括无ROP的婴儿。
结果:ROP组Apelin-13水平明显低于对照组,而VEGF水平显示出相反的结果（均P<0.001）。重度ROP患儿Apelin-13水平低于轻度ROP患儿，VEGF水平高于轻度ROP患儿（均P<0.05）。作为ROP指标的apelin-13水平的受试者工作特征曲线显示，119.6pg/mL的临界值产生84.8％的灵敏度和63.6％的特异性，而对于VEGF水平，截断值为84.3pg/mL,其敏感性为84.8%,特异性为66.7%.
结论：4-6周龄时血浆apelin-13和VEGF水平可能在辅助诊断ROP中起作用。
