title: Diagnosis value of the serum amyloid A test in neonatal sepsis: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Neonatal sepsis (NS), a common disorder for humans, is recognized as a leading global public health challenge. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the accuracy of the serum amyloid A (SAA) test for diagnosing NS. The studies that evaluated the SAA test as a diagnostic marker were searched in Pubmed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Google Network between January 1996 and June 2013. A total of nine studies including 823 neonates were included in our meta-analysis. Quality of each study was evaluated by the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies tool (QUADAS). The SAA test showed moderate accuracy in the diagnosis of NS both at the first suspicion of sepsis and 8-96 h after the sepsis onset, both with Q* = 0.91, which is similar to the PCT and CRP tests for the diagnosis of NS in the same period. Heterogeneity between studies was also explained by cut-off point, SAA assay, and age of included neonates. On the basis of our meta-analysis, therefore, SAA could be promising and meaningful in the diagnosis of NS.
authors.affiliation: Center for Systems Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
authors.forename: Haining
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Bokun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Wenying
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bairong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017594:Publication Bias; D012372:ROC Curve; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein