Ocena przydatności oznaczania prohepcydyny w przebiegu ...

X. ABSTRACT
Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether prohepcidin concentration in
newborns with bacterial infection could be useful diagnostic tool as an acute phase
protein and a marker of iron metabolism disturbances.
Patients and methods: The study was performed at Neonatology and Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit of the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw from 2008
to 2010. We enrolled to our study 63 full-term newborns (thirty five neonates with
bacterial infection and twenty eight neonates without infection). Blood samples were
analyzed for complete blood count, reticulocyte count, C-reactive protein, prohepcidin,
ferritin, iron, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor concentrations, TIBC. We analyzed
also results of the blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures. Two blood samples were
collected from patients with bacterial infection (at the time of diagnosis and after the
treatment of the infection) and one sample from patients without infection (as a control
group). Levels of prohepcidin were measured using Hepcidin Prohormone Enzyme
Immunoassay Kit (EIA-4015), DRG Instruments GmbH, Marburg, Germany. We
compare all the laboratory findings in the group with bacterial infection and without
infection.
Results: Serum prohepcidin levels were statistically significantly higher in newborns
without infection (median 142,95 ng/ml, 154,12 ± 73,45) when compared with ill
newborns (median 60,09 ng/ml, 92,54 ± 79,44), p=0,0002 and with newborns after the
treatment of the infection (p=0,0001). Statistically significant differences were found
between the group of the ill newborns at the time of the infection’s diagnosis and the
group of the newborns without the infection with regard to: white blood cell counts,
neutrophils, reticulocyte count, iron concentration, TIBC, transferrin saturation, C-
reactive protein (p < 0,05). When the ill newborns after the treatment and the newborns
without the infection were compared, statistically significant differences were found
with regard to: red cells counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet counts, TIBC,
transferrin saturation (p < 0,05). The mean iron and transferrin concentrations and
transferrin saturation were decreased during the bacterial infection, which correlated
with C-reactive protein level.
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