Determination of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) Expression in Pediatric Patients With Severe Burns: a Pilot Study
Condition: Burns
MeSH terms: Burns
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The goal of this observational study is to determine the blood values of NGF in severely
      burned patients, to describe any changes over time and finally to correlate the expression of
      NGF to the severity of the burn.

      The main question it aims to answer is:

      - describe NGF values in severely burned pediatric patients and to evaluate their correlation
      with the severity of the burn and the extent of the burned skin surface by measuring the
      circulating levels of NGF in pediatric patients.

      Participants will undergo blood sampling on days 2,7,14 and 30 after the traumatic event for
      the clinical follow-up envisaged by the internal protocol.
    

Detailed description: 
      Severe pediatric burns, characterized by an extension greater than 10% of the total body
      surface or by the involvement of particular districts such as the hands, face, airways or
      genitals, are characterized by multisystem involvement, which often requires intensive care
      support.

      The epidermis begins to develop from the superficial ectoderm at the end of the fourth week
      of gestation when the neural tube separates from the overlying ectoderm. Consequently, the
      ectoderm gives rise to both the nervous system and the epithelium.

      In particular, the NERVE GROWTH FACTOR (NGF) is a neurotrophic factor that plays a
      fundamental protective role in the development and survival of neurons.

      In fetal skin, NGF is synthesized in both the epithelium and mesenchyme, but the highest
      amounts of NGF messenger ribonucleic acid are found in the epithelium. There are currently no
      studies investigating the expression of NGF in severe burns.

      The common embryonic origin of the skin and the neurological system may hold the key to new
      research opportunities to understand the regenerative response and in particular the role of
      growth factors such as NGF in the skin repair mechanism in severe burns .

      The hypothesis of the study is based on the possibility that skin burns may be related to an
      increased expression of circulating NGF in the blood. However, there are no data in
      literature on this issue and the behavior of NGF in patients affected by burns is not known,
      either in adult or pediatric patients.

      Aim To describe NGF values in severely burned pediatric patients and to evaluate their
      correlation with the severity of the burn and the extent of the burned skin surface by
      measuring the circulating levels of NGF.
    

Intervention name(s): pediatric patients affected by severe burns
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): All patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit affected by severe burns involving more than 10% of the body surface will be enrolled.
Observational model: Case-Only
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Patients from 1 month to 17 years of age suffering from severe burns, i.e. II/III degree
        and involving more than 8-10% of the body surface admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care
        Unit.
      
Keywords: nerve growth factor; pediatric patient