[Assessment of serum interleukin-6 with a rapid test. The diagnosis of neonatal sepsis can be established or ruled out].
BACKGROUND
The mortality rate from sepsis is high and the risk of sepsis increases in prematurity in proportion to the decrease in birth weight.


METHODS
The authors report the assessment of serum interleukin-6 levels in 12 term, at-risk newborn infants after birth and 60 VLBW neonates after detection of non-specific signs of infection or sepsis, treated in NICU at the Semmelweis University, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2005-2006. The serum IL-6 level with a rapid test (Milenia Quickline IL-6 and PicoScan system) was investigated. The simultaneous assessment of C-reactive protein levels was analysed as well.


RESULTS
The assessment of serum interleukin-6 and CRP levels for the early diagnosis of sepsis can be established or ruled out. The sensitivity of serum IL-6 level assessment was 100%. There were no false negative cases. The positive predictive value was 93%. There was a significant difference between the sepsis and infection group of VLBW infants in the serum Il-6 levels ( p = 0.048), and between the infection and non-infection groups in the interleukin-6 levels ( p < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
In comparing the diagnostic value of IL-6 measurement in VLBW infants with signs of infection to the diagnostic methods currently in use, results showed that a combination of early assessment of IL-6 and CRP seems to increase diagnostic accuracy in attempting to differentiate between septic and nonseptic patients. Such increased accuracy will decrease neonatal morbidity as well as the financial cost of treatment.
Görbe
Eva
E
Semmelweis Egyetem, Altalános Orvostudományi Kar I. Szülészeti és Nogyógyászati Klinika, Budapest. gorbeeva@freemail.hu
Jeager
Judit
J
Nagy
Bálint
B
Harmath
Agnes
A
Hauzman
Erik
E
Hruby
Ervin
E
Kohalmi
Barbara
B
Perlaki
Mónika
M
Sassi
Lilla
L
Rab
Attila
A
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein