IL18 and necrotizing enterocolitis: We aimed to confirm in a cohort of 358 preterm newborns (gestational age <30 weeks, 26 cases of NEC ≥ Bell stage II) the association with NEC of three candidate SNPs: the vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) C-2578A polymorphism (rs699947), the interleukin (IL)-18 C-607A polymorphism (rs1946518), and the IL-4 receptor α-chain (IL-4Rα) A-1902G polymorphism (rs1801275).