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The Diagnostic Value of Irisin in Pediatric Patients with Acute Abdominal Pain
Fatma Sarac1, Sevgi Buyukbese Sarsu2, Selman Yeniocak3
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Haseki Research and Education Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Irisin, a peptide hormone, shows potential as a biomarker for diagnosing acute appendicitis (AA) and perforated appendicitis (PA) in children. Elevated irisin levels help differentiate these conditions from other causes of acute abdominal pain.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Diagnosing acute abdominal pain in pediatric patients presents clinical challenges.
- Accurate differentiation is crucial for timely surgical intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of irisin as a diagnostic biomarker.
- To differentiate acute appendicitis (AA) and perforated appendicitis (PA) in children presenting with acute abdominal pain.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 112 pediatric patients with acute abdominal pain and 50 controls were enrolled.
- Blood samples were analyzed for irisin, white blood cell (WBC) count, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
Main Results:
- Mean irisin levels were significantly higher in patients with AA and PA compared to controls and nonspecific abdominal pain.
- WBC and CRP levels were also elevated in AA and PA cases.
- No significant difference in irisin levels was found between AA and PA.
Conclusions:
- Irisin may serve as a valuable biomarker in the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain in pediatric patients.
- This can aid in distinguishing appendicitis from other abdominal conditions, potentially improving surgical decision-making.
Objectives:
Diagnosis of pediatric patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain is not always easy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of irisin, a peptide hormone with reactivity shown in the appendix and neutrophils, in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients with acute abdominal pain.
Methods:
162 subjects consenting to participate, including 112 patients presenting to the Pediatric Emergency and Pediatric Surgery clinics with acute abdominal pain and 50 controls, were enrolled in the study. Blood was collected from all patients following initial examination for irisin, WBC, and CRP investigation.
Results:
Mean irisin levels in cases of acute appendicitis (AA) and perforated appendicitis (PA) were statistically significantly higher compared to nonspecific abdominal pains and the control group. No statistically significant difference was observed in irisin levels between AA and PA cases. WBC and CRP levels were also significantly higher in cases of AA and PA compared to nonspecific abdominal pains.
Conclusions:
Differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pains in children and deciding on surgery are a difficult and complex process. Our study shows that irisin can be a useful biomarker in differentiating AA and PA from other acute abdominal pains in children.
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