Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the most challenging problems despite the ongoing progress in diagnosis and treatment. Neonatal sepsis is the single most important cause of neonatal deaths in the community, accounting or over half of them. Ischemia modified albumin (IMA), a Food and Drug Administration-approved serum biomarker of cardiac ischemia and a risk stratification tool for suspected acute coronary syndrome is produced during an ischemic condition or attack and is present in the blood in early and easily detectable levels. Growing evidence suggests that IMA is also increased in diseases associated with oxidative stress such as diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypercholesterolemia. Also, it has been reported that circulating IMA was associated with inflammation markers, because inflammation reduces the capacity of albumin to bind to cobalt. Serum IMA has recently gained interest as marker for neonatal sepsis.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of serum ischemia modified albumin as a marker for early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.
Patients and Methods: The present comprised 30 neonates with sepsis, age 35.4 + 2.62 weeks and 30 healthy control neonates age 36.50 + 1.85 weeks. It was carried out as a case control study. An informed written consent was obtained from parents of all neonates. Patients and controls were subjected detailed history taking, thorough physical examination, routine laboratory investigations (CBC, CRP and blood cultures) and assessment of serum IMA.
Results: Analysis of our results showed statistically significant difference between sepsis group and control group in serum IMA levels. We found that no statistically significant difference was found between full term and preterm neonates with sepsis as regards serum IMA levels.
Conclusion: Serum IMA levels is a useful marker in early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and further studies are needed to confirm our results in larger groups of patients.