Value Of Serum Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein In Diagnosis Of Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Objective:Necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal emergency. Up to now the diagonsis of NEC is mostly relay on X-ray results. Early diagnosis of NEC remains difficult due to nonspecific clinical signs and X-ray manifestationa the early phase of NEC. Intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) is found abundant in intestinal epithelial villus. It has been reported to be a useful organ-specific biomarker for enterocyte damage. This study aimed at investigating serum I-FABP levels in NEC patients and tried to explore its value of I-FABP in early diagnosis and grading of NEC.Methods:Throughout the11months of study period from March2011to February2012,26hospitalized neonates who developed NEC in neonatal Ward in CHCMU were included in this study. Diagnosis of NEC was based on the bell staging criteria. According to different NEC stages, the total of 26infants were finially divided into the early NEC group(n=13) and Later Period NEC group also as confirmed groups(n=13).26non-NEC infants who were of the same gestational age,birth weight,age and gender were recruited as the control group. Serum from all included neonates were collected during the first24h after clinilcal diagnosis.Serum I-FABP was mearsured using a commercially enzyme-linked immunosorbent assy(ELISA) that selectively detects human I-FABP. The C-reactive protein and facal Occult blood test results as well as history records were analyzed. SPSS version17.0was used for statistical analyse. Date were present as mean±SD. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to find out normolity. Differences among three groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test or ANO VA test. Mann-Whitney U test and t test were uesd to find out difference between two groups.The correlation between gestational age,birth weight,age and serum I-FABP were tested by Spearman test., receiver operating characteristics(ROC) curves were drawn to find out the cutoff points of serum I-FABP in diagnosis NEC. Evaluate the diagnosing value of the blood platelet count (PLT)、C reactive protein (CRP)、Fecal Occult blood test(OBT)、I-FABP by calculating their diagnosing sensitivity and specificity,evaluate the relationship between NEC and each evaluated item by chi square test。Results:The gestational age,birth weight,age and gender were similar b etween theg ro up s. T he S erum I-FABP c onc ent ratio ns in th e3gro up s were...