title: Activin A in asphyxiated full-term newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
abstract: Activin-A is a protein over-expressed and secreted by the brain after neuronal destruction. We evaluated whether serum activin-A increases in asphyxiated full-term newborns (AFTNs) at risk of hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy (HIE). 105 consecutive infants (35 affected by perinatal asphyxia due to acute fetal distress; 70 healthy gestational-age matched newborns) underwent cranial assessment and neurologic examination at 12, 24 and 72 hours after birth and, on discharge from the hospital and; activin-A and monitoring laboratory variables assessment at birth. According to the occurrence of HIE within 7-days after birth, AFTNs were subdivided in Group A (n= 20; no/mild HIE with good prognosis) and Group B (n= 15; moderate/severe HIE with a greater risk of neurological handicap). Activin-A was significantly (P less than 0.0001) higher in Groups A and B than controls and highest (P less than 0.001) in Group B. At 0.66 ng/L activin-A achieved a sensitivity of 93.33 per cent and a specificity of 96.63 per cent, respectively, as HIE diagnostic test. These findings show that activin A increased in AFTNs with HIE before the appearance of related signs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. florio@unisi.it
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigiola
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Battista
authors.forename: Ali El Hadi
authors.initials: Ael H
authors.lastname: Abdalla
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gazzolo
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galleri
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pinzauti
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abella
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li Volti
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strambi
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000097:blood*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins