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Diagnostic value of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein for pneumatosis intestinalis
Shokei Matsumoto1, Kazuhiko Sekine2, Hiroyuki Funaoka3
1Department of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, Saiseikai Yokohamashi Tobu Hospital, 3-6-1 Shimosueyoshi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 230-0012, Japan.
Insights
Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) shows promise in diagnosing severe pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), a critical indicator of bowel ischemia. Elevated I-FABP levels, alongside other markers, may aid clinicians in identifying pathologic PI.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Emergency Medicine
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a critical radiological sign often associated with life-threatening bowel ischemia.
- Accurate diagnosis of pathologic PI is essential for timely intervention and improved patient outcomes.
- Current diagnostic methods may lack specificity, necessitating the exploration of novel biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) in identifying pathologic PI.
- To compare the performance of I-FABP against traditional biomarkers and clinical parameters for diagnosing pathologic PI.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of consecutive patients presenting with PI to the emergency department.
- Measurement of I-FABP levels and comparison with other biomarkers.
- Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine diagnostic performance.
Main Results:
- Seventy patients with PI were included; 27 (39%) had pathologic PI.
- Biomarker levels were significantly higher in patients with pathologic PI (P < .05).
- I-FABP demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82 for pathologic PI.
Conclusions:
- Elevated I-FABP levels show significant potential as a diagnostic marker for pathologic PI.
- Combining I-FABP with other clinical parameters may enhance diagnostic accuracy.
- I-FABP could become a valuable tool in the clinical management of patients with PI.
Background:
Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is known as a sign of a life-threatening bowel ischemia. We aimed to evaluate the utility of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) in the diagnosis of pathologic PI.
Methods:
All consecutive patients who presented to our emergency department with PI were prospectively enrolled. The diagnostic performance of I-FABP for pathologic PI was compared with that of other traditional biomarkers and various parameters.
Results:
Seventy patients with PI were enrolled. Pathologic PI was diagnosed in 27 patients (39%). The levels of most biomarkers were significantly higher in patients with pathologic PI than those with nonpathologic PI (P < .05). Receiver operator characteristic analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) was highest for I-FABP (area under the curve = .82) in the diagnosis of pathologic PI.
Conclusions:
High I-FABP value, in combination with other parameters, might be clinically useful for pathologic PI.
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