Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products in late-onset neonatal infection

To assess the plasma levels of sRAGE (soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products) in infected and non-infected preterm neonates and to compare their diagnostic values with standard infection biomarkers.

RAGE activates pathways responsible for acute and chronic inflammation. The soluble type of this receptor, sRAGE, which acts as a decoy receptor, has been linked to the severity of sepsis and its outcome.

Prospective clinical study was carried out from January 2011 to August 2013. There were 33 neonates included according to their infection status and divided into subgroups as follows: infected (I), septic (S), non-infected controls (C).

We found significantly lower values of sRAGE in the subgroup S (905.54±220.53 pg/mL; p < 0.028), while borderline values were higher in the subgroup I vs C (2158.33±197.33 pg/mL vs 1744.80±157.74 pg/mL; p < 0.064). By analysing the interobserver concordance we detected 70 % agreement as to sRAGE values detected in neonatal late-onset infections and sepsis, while procalcitonin was used as golden standard.

Plasma sRAGE values reflect the severity of the inflammatory status in late-onset infection and sepsis in preterm neonates. Our results indicate that sRAGE could be a good potential biomarker of late-onset neonatal infection and sepsis (Tab. 2, Ref. 14).