title: Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in umbilical cord serum: potential for the diagnosis of neonatal infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic relevance to neonatal infections of the soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) cord serum level.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case-control study included 66 term newborn infants with and without risk factors for neonatal infections. Cord blood serum determinations of white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and sICAM-1 were systematically performed associated with bacterial cultures from placenta, ears, and gastric fluids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  6 of 33 infants (18.2%) with risk factors were infected, and 13 (39.4%) were colonized. Two infants included in the group without infection risk factors (n = 33) were colonized. No difference in sICAM-1 cord serum levels was found according to the presence of premature rupture of membrane, fetal tachycardia >160 bpm, meconial amniotic fluid, and duration of labour >10 h. No difference in sICAM-1 was noted between infected and non-infected infants. The cord serum levels of sICAM-1 were significantly higher in infants after forceps extraction (p = 0.01). A correlation was observed between sICAM-1 and C-reactive protein cord serum levels (p = 0.004, r = 0.371) and between sICAM-1 level and neutrophil count (p = 0.01, r = 0.489).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that cord serum sICAM-1 determinations have no diagnostic relevance to neonatal infection. The increase of sICAM-1 cord serum levels in infants after forceps extraction suggests its potential to evaluate cerebral trauma or hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Emile
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daraï
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poncelet
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lejeune
authors.forename: Annie-France
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Bringuier
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Madelenat
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feldmann
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Scoazec
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods; D004423:Ear / Q000382:microbiology; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009772:Obstetrical Forceps; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein