Presepsin as a Diagnostic Biomarker for the Detection of Early-Onset Sepsis in Preterm Neonates

Taranjeet Kaur, Sunita Arora, Naresh Kumar, Neha Uppal, Gursharan Singh Narang

Abstract

Background and Aim: Neonatal sepsis poses a significant threat to the health and survival of low-birth-weight (LBW) and preterm neonates. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of presepsin (P-SEP) as a biomarker in the detection of early-onset sepsis (EOS) in preterm neonates.

Materials and Methods: This research adopted a diagnostic accuracy case–control study design. Preterm neonates (gestational age < 36 wk) admitted to the NICU within the first 6 hours of life for sepsis assessment were considered for the study. Totally, 70 neonates were enrolled and categorized into 2 groups: group 1 (neonates with sepsis; n = 35) and group 2 (neonates without sepsis; n = 35) based on clinical assessments, radiologic findings, infection screening, and blood culture reports.

Results: The P-SEP level was significantly higher in group 1 neonates compared with that in group 2 neonates at various time points. Notably, P-SEP exhibited the highest accuracy in predicting EOS when considering a cutoff value of 334.15 pg/mL within the first 6 hours of life.

Conclusion: P-SEP emerged as a valuable biomarker for the detection of EOS in preterm neonates and demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy than that of C-reactive protein.