Activin A is a novel biomarker in early screening of neonatal sepsis

Introduction: Septicemia is the common cause of neonatal mortality in the world, with a higher incidence in the developing world. As timely diagnosis and effective management is the best method to reduce complications, it is vital to find new biomarker like Activin A, to reach the diagnosis as early as possible. Materials and Methods: The study type was Analytic cross-sectional comparative study performed on 55 neonates distributed into two groups; study group, 30 neonates with sepsis and control group: 25 healthy neonates. We measured the level of Activin A plus complete blood count, C-reactive protein, and blood culture in neonates who were diagnosed by clinical examination while we measured only serum Activin A in neonates who were completely healthy and came to follow-up at primary health center. Results: There was a significant difference in the level of Activin A between septic and healthy neonates (4.89 +/- 2.85 and 1.61 +/- 0.92 pg/ ml, P < 0.05). The data were analyzed and show a lot a significant importance of Activin A as new biomarker for early diagnosis of sepsis as analysis of receiver operating characteristic curve of the optimal cutoff point of serum Activin A in diagnosis of sepsis among neonates which was >= 2.49 with 96.7% sensitivity and 86% specificity. Conclusion: We recommend using Activin A as a novel biomarker of diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and also use it to early detect infection especially at the first 2 days of life to start the treatment early.