A Prospective Cohort Study of Fecal miR-223 and miR-451a as Noninvasive and Specific Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of fecal microRNA (miR)-223 and miR-451a, as novel noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants.

Methods: Among the top-listed target miRNAs in our previous differential microarray analysis, miR-223 and miR-451a were quantified in a pilot validation case-controlled study (NEC vs. non-NEC/nonsepsis infants; n = 6 in each group).

Plasma miR-1290 Is a Novel and Specific Biomarker for Early Diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis-Biomarker Discovery with Prospective Cohort Evaluation.

Objective: To discover specific circulating microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers for the early differentiation of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) from neonatal sepsis and inflammatory conditions.

Study Design: The study comprised 3 distinct phases: differential microarray analysis to compare plasma miRNA expression profiles of NEC vs sepsis and non-NEC/nonsepsis cases, a case-control study to quantify dysregulated miRNAs as potential specific biomarkers of NEC, and a prospective cohort study to assess the diagnostic usefulness of the best miRNA biomarker(s).

Results: A distinct miRNA expression profile was observed in the NEC compared with the sepsis and non-NEC/nonsepsis groups.

Rapid Identification of Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance by qPCR in Infants with Gram-Negative Septicaemia: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Neonatal sepsis remains an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Tools to rapidly predict antibiotic resistance in neonatal sepsis would be extremely valuable.

Objectives: To develop quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) primer/probe sets that can rapidly detect antibiotic resistance genes common to a neonatal unit, and to investigate the feasibility of direct detection of antibiotic resistance genes in whole blood of infants with Gram-negative septicaemia without first isolating the organism.

Regulation of Circulating Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells in Preterm Infants with Septicemia.

Preterm infants are at high risk of developing severe sepsis. Circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs; CD45CD34) have been suggested to play a vital role in the host immunological defense against invading pathogens. The objectives were to investigate the regulation of circulating HSPCs in preterm infants during infection episodes, and to assess the relationship of CD45CD34 cells with immunological mediators and differential leukocyte populations.

Neutrophil CD64 for daily surveillance of systemic infection and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.

Background: Early detection and treatment of infected preterm infants could decrease morbidity and mortality. Neutrophil CD64 has been shown to be an excellent early diagnostic biomarker of late-onset sepsis (LOS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We aimed to study whether using CD64 as a daily surveillance biomarker could predict LOS/NEC before clinical manifestation.

Gut-associated biomarkers L-FABP, I-FABP, and TFF3 and LIT score for diagnosis of surgical necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of gut barrier proteins, liver-fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), intestinal-fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), and trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), as biomarkers for differentiating necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) from septicemic/control infants and to identify the most severely affected surgical NEC from nonsurgical NEC infants.

Background: Clinical features and routine radiologic investigations have low diagnostic utilities in identifying surgical NEC patients.

Methods: The diagnostic utilities of individual biomarkers and the combination of biomarkers, the LIT score, were assessed among the NEC (n = 20), septicemia (n = 40), and control groups (n = 40) in a case-control study for the identification of proven NEC and surgical NEC infants.

Early diagnosis of intra-abdominal inflammation and sepsis by neutrophil CD64 expression in newborns.

Background: Newborn infants with intra-abdominal inflammation/sepsis often present with nonspecific signs in the early stages of the disease, but can rapidly develop life-threatening complications. A reliable 'early' biomarker would be invaluable.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of neutrophil CD64 as an 'early' biomarker of intra-abdominal inflammation/sepsis.

Host-response biomarkers for diagnosis of late-onset septicemia and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.

Preterm infants are highly susceptible to life-threatening infections that are clinically difficult to detect, such as late-onset septicemia and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Here, we used a proteomic approach to identify biomarkers for diagnosis of these devastating conditions. In a case-control study comprising 77 sepsis/NEC and 77 nonsepsis cases (10 in each group being monitored longitudinally), plasma samples collected at clinical presentation were assessed in the biomarker discovery and independent validation phases.

IP-10 is an early diagnostic marker for identification of late-onset bacterial infection in preterm infants.

Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with suspected late-onset infection requiring sepsis screening were enrolled in a prospective study to evaluate the diagnostic utilities of a comprehensive panel of key chemokines and cytokines, both individually and in combination, to identify diagnostic markers for early recognition of bacterial sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Plasma chemokines interleukin (IL)-8, interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), monokine induced by interferon-gamma (MIG), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), growth-related oncogene-alpha (GRO-alpha), and regulated upon activation of normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured at the onset of sepsis (0 h) and 24 h later. Of 155 suspected infection episodes, 44 were classified as infected.

Early prediction of sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation with interleukin-10, interleukin-6, and RANTES in preterm infants.

Background: The progression to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in infected very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) infants is difficult to predict with precision at the onset of sepsis. We investigated the immunologic profiles of preterm infants with sepsis, using chemokine and cytokine measurements to predict the development of sepsis-induced DIC at the onset of infection.

Methods: We measured a panel of chemokines and cytokines at 0 and 24 h after clinical presentation in VLBW infants with suspected infection requiring full sepsis screening.

Quantitative measurement of monocyte HLA-DR expression in the identification of early-onset neonatal infection.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utilities of monocyte HLA-DR as an infection marker in the identification of early-onset clinical infection and pneumonia in newborn infants.

Methods: Term newborns in whom infection was suspected when they were <72 h of age were eligible for enrollment in the study. C-reactive protein (CRP), monocyte HLA-DR and neutrophil CD64 expressions were quantitatively measured at the time of sepsis evaluation (0 h) and 24 h afterwards by flow cytometry and standard laboratory method.

Neutrophil CD64 is a sensitive diagnostic marker for early-onset neonatal infection.

This prospective study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utilities of neutrophil CD64 expression for the identification of early-onset clinical infection and pneumonia in term infants and to define the optimal cutoff value so that it may act as a reference with which future studies can be compared. Term newborns in whom infection was suspected when they were <72 h of age were recruited into the study. C-reactive protein (CRP) and expression of CD64 on neutrophils were measured at 0 h (at the time of sepsis evaluation) and 24 h.

Immunogenicity of a two-dose regime of varicella vaccine in children with cancers.

Objective: Live-attenuated varicella vaccine is effective and safe in immunocompetent children. In this study, we assess the immunogenicity and adverse events following varicella vaccination in immunosuppressed cancer children.

Methods: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-seronegative cancer children received two doses of live-attenuated VZV vaccine (Varilrix) in a span of 3 months.

Neutrophil CD64 expression: a sensitive diagnostic marker for late-onset nosocomial infection in very low birthweight infants.

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic utilities of four leukocyte surface antigens-two lymphocyte antigens (CD25 and CD45RO) and two neutrophil antigens (CD11b and CD64)-for identification of late-onset nosocomial bacterial infection in preterm, very low birthweight infants, and to define the optimal cutoff value for each marker so that it may act as a reference with which future studies can be compared. Very low birthweight infants in whom infection was suspected when they were >72 h of age were eligible for the study. A full sepsis screen was performed in each episode.