ABSTRACT
Background: Neonatal sepsis remains one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity despite the progress in hygiene so that the accurate and early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is a relevant problem. Calprotectin is an antimicrobial, calcium and zinc binding heterocomplex protein that could be used as a nonspecific marker for activation of granulocytes and mononuclear phagocytes. Therefore, calprotectin has been proposed for the diagnosis of inflammatory conditions.
Objectives: The aim of this work was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum Calprotectin in newborns with suspected sepsis.
Patients and Methods: After obtaining the approval of the Al-Azhar University Ethical Committee, A case control study was conducted on thirty neonates. The study was carried out in Al-Azhar University Hospitals (AL- Hussein &Sayed Galal Hospitals), during the period from June 2018 to October 2019. All patients gave their written informed consents prior to their inclusion in the study. Thirty children divided into 2 groups (case & control). Serum level of calprotectin was measured for all neonates recruited in this study, by a commercial ELISA assay
Results: Serum calprotectin levels were significantly higher in septic group than non- septic and control groups as mean Serum Calprotectin was 5.8 ± 1.4μg/ml and 1.3 ± 0.9μg/ml, respectively. Significant positive correlations were found between calprotectin levels and WBCs and IM ratio, while negative correlations were found between its level and lymphocytes and platelets. In our study, Calprotectin sensitivity and specificity values were 100 % and 97.5%, respectively.
Conclusion: Serum calprotectin levels were significantly higher in neonates with sepsis. Its levels correlated well with other laboratory markers of sepsis and neonatal mortality. It is a sensitive diagnostic marker for neonatal sepsis.