Effect of mild hypothermia on the expression of IL-10 and IL-18 in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

The effect of mild hypothermia on the expression of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-18 in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy was investigated. A retrospective analysis was performed on 97 neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Xuzhou Children's Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University from September 2016 to August 2018. Of these patients, 54 with mild hypothermia were included in the experimental group (moderate + severe), and 43 patients who received conventional therapy were included in the control group (moderate + severe). The effect of mild hypothermia on IL-10 and IL-18 expression levels was analyzed, and the relationship between IL-10, IL-18 and disease severity in children with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy was analyzed. The concentration of IL-10 in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 1, 2, 3 and 5 days (P<0.05). The concentration of IL-18 in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group at the 2, 3 and 5 days (P<0.05). NBNA scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group at 14 and 28 days after birth (P<0.05). Before treatment, the expression levels of IL-10 and IL-18 in severe children were significantly higher than those in moderate children (P<0.05). IL-10 was positively correlated with the severity of the disease (r=0.521, P<0.05), and IL-18 was also positively correlated with the severity of the disease (r=0.616 P<0.05). Mild hypothermia treatment can effectively improve the neurological function of children with HIE, reduce the expression of IL-10 and IL-18 in serum, and inhibit the inflammatory response. Therefore, the expression of IL-10 and IL-18 was positively correlated with the severity of disease in children with HIE, and could be used as an indicator to judge the severity of HIE.