Serum Progranulin as a Potential Diagnostic Predictor in Neonatal Sepsis

TL;DR

This study suggests that progranulin in blood could help diagnose and predict outcomes in newborns with sepsis.

Contribution

The study identifies progranulin as a novel and highly predictive biomarker for neonatal sepsis.

Findings

Neonates with sepsis had higher progranulin levels compared to others.

Progranulin levels correlated with longer hospital stays and higher diagnostic accuracy.

A threshold of 80.4 ng/mL provided strong sensitivity and specificity for sepsis detection.

Abstract

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic power of progranulin (PGRN) in neonatal sepsis.

Methods: We enrolled 67 newborns hospitalized for sepsis or suspected infection. Serum biomarkers, including PGRN, were quantified at admission. The relationship between PGRN levels and sepsis severity, hospital stay duration, and diagnostic accuracy was analyzed.

Results: Neonates with sepsis exhibited elevated PGRN concentrations, which correlated directly with prolonged hospitalization. PGRN emerged as a robust prognostic biomarker for neonatal sepsis, indicating the highest predictive power (AUC: 0.956; 95% CI: 0.875-0.991; P < 0.001). At a threshold of 80.4 ng/mL, PGRN achieved 90.91% sensitivity, 80.3% specificity, and an AUC of 0.760.

Conclusion: This study indicated that PGRN may be an excellent biomarker for early diagnosis and guiding clinical management of neonatal sepsis.

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