Predictive values of Ischemia modified albumin in neonatal sepsis

Objective: This study aims to identify whether ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) can be used as a marker in the diagnosis of sepsis in the term patient population. Methods: In the study group 30 sepsis patients and 30 healthy neonatal, control group, whose gestational ages were >= 38 weeks were included. Blood samples were taken for IMA levels at baseline and on the 3rd and 10th days of the treatment. The IMA values obtained were compared with those for C-reactive protein (CRP). Results: The baseline CRP, IMA, and adjusted IMA levels of the patients in the study group were statistically higher compared to the control group (p < 0.05). IMA and adjusted IMA values measured in the study group on the 3rd and 10th days decreased gradually and significantly compared to initial levels (p<0.0001). There was a positive correlation between the baseline IMA levels and CRP values among the patients with sepsis (r: 0.371, p < 0.05). The diagnostic cut-off value of IMA in term of diagnosis of the neonatal sepsis was found to be 0.644 ABSU p < 0.0001), with a sensitivity of 93.3% and specificity of 66.7%. Conclusion: We suggest that IMA can be used as a useful biomarker in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.