Serum Neuron-Specific Enolase as a Biomarker of Neonatal Brain Injury—New Perspectives for the Identification of Preterm Neonates at High Risk for Severe Intraventricular Hemorrhage
Dimitra Metallinou,
Grigorios Karampas,
Maria-Loukia Pavlou,
Maria-Ioanna Louma,
Aimilia Mantzou,
Antigoni Sarantaki,
Christina Nanou,
Kleanthi Gourounti,
Maria Tzeli,
Nikoletta Pantelaki,
Evangelos Tzamakos,
Theodora Boutsikou,
Aikaterini Lykeridou,
Nicoletta Iacovidou
Affiliations
Dimitra Metallinou
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Grigorios Karampas
Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
Maria-Loukia Pavlou
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Maria-Ioanna Louma
Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece
Aimilia Mantzou
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
Antigoni Sarantaki
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Christina Nanou
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Kleanthi Gourounti
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Maria Tzeli
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Nikoletta Pantelaki
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Evangelos Tzamakos
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Theodora Boutsikou
Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Aikaterini Lykeridou
Department of Midwifery, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
Nicoletta Iacovidou
Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Neonatal brain injury (NBI) is a critical condition for preterm neonates with potential long-term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. This prospective longitudinal case–control study aimed at investigating the levels and prognostic value of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) during the first 3 days of life in preterm neonates (n = 29) with a neonate who had a normal head ultrasound scan (n = 29). We report that serum NSE levels during the first three days of life do not differ significantly between control and preterm neonates with NBI. Nevertheless, subgroup analysis revealed that neonates with IVH had significantly higher concentrations of serum NSE in comparison to controls and neonates with PVL on the third day of life (p = 0.014 and p = 0.033, respectively). The same pattern on the levels of NSE on the third day of life was also observed between (a) neonates with IVH and all other neonates (PVL and control; p = 0.003), (b) neonates with II–IV degree IVH and all other neonates (p = 0.003), and (c) between control and the five (n = 5) neonates that died from the case group (p = 0.023). We conclude that NSE could be an effective and useful biomarker on the third day of life for the identification of preterm neonates at high risk of developing severe forms of IVH.
