title: Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein is a useful diagnostic marker for mesenteric infarction in humans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acute ischemic diseases of the small bowel are lethal emergencies with no reliable diagnostic biochemical tests available. Experimental studies have suggested rat intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) as a serum marker reflecting bowel ischemia; the present study evaluates the human homologue (human I-FABP) as a serum marker for the diagnosis of acute ischemic diseases of the bowel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enzyme immunoassay was applied to determine I-FABP levels in the sera of 96 subjects: 13 preoperative patients with ischemic bowel diseases (5 cases of mesenteric infarction and 8 cases of strangulated obstruction of the small bowel), 35 healthy subjects, and 48 hospitalized patients with acute abdominal pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum I-FABP levels were < 65 ng/mL in healthy subjects. In patients with acute abdominal pain, levels ranged from < 20 to 87 ng/mL (mean, 27.4 ng/mL), not significantly different from findings in healthy subjects. However, patients with ischemic bowel disease showed significantly higher I-FABP levels, ranging from < 20 to 1496 ng/mL (mean, 265.8 ng/mL). All 5 patients with mesenteric infarction showed I-FABP levels of > 100 ng/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  I-FABP is a useful biochemical marker for the accurate diagnosis of mesenteric infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatakeyama
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007238:Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008643:Mesentery / Q000098:blood supply*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018996:Myelin P2 Protein / Q000097:blood*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C107608:FABP7 protein, human; C490174:Fabp7 protein, rat; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D018996:Myelin P2 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins