Fetal chronic hypoxia does not affect urinary presepsin levels in newborns at birth.

Objectives: Early sepsis detection and diagnosis still constitutes an open issue since the accuracy of standard-of care parameters is biased by a series of perinatal factors including hypoxia. Therefore, we aimed at investigating the effect of fetal chronic hypoxia insult on urine levels of a promising new marker of sepsis, namely presepsin (P-SEP).

Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study in 22 cases of early-intrauterine growth restriction (E-IUGR) compared with 22 small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns and 66 healthy controls.

Perinatal presepsin assessment: a new sepsis diagnostic tool?

Perinatal sepsis constitutes a medical emergency and is still one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity. The possibility of an early diagnosis of sepsis is still debated and controversial. In particular, clinical symptoms can be hidden by the association of sepsis with other perinatal diseases and/or by therapeutic strategies performed.

Perinatal asphyxia partly affects presepsin urine levels in non-infected term infants.

Objectives: Standard of care sepsis biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) can be affected by several perinatal factors, among which perinatal asphyxia (PA) has a significant role. In this light, new early sepsis biomarkers such as presepsin (P-SEP) are needed to enact therapeutic strategies at a stage when clinical and laboratory patterns are still silent or unavailable. We aimed at investigating the potential effects of PA on longitudinal P-SEP urine levels.

Influence of growth hormone therapy on pituitary and lumbar spine astrocytomas. A clinical observation.

We report on a male patient with an inactive pituitary and lumbar astrocytoma. He presented with panhypopituitarism at the age of 16 and received growth hormone replacement therapy for one year. During this period the pituitary mass increased substantially and showed subsequently a consistent shrinkage once treatment was stopped.