A meta-analysis of interleukin-6 as a valid and accurate index in diagnosing early neonatal sepsis

We aimed to systematically assess the overall value of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in diagnosing neonates with sepsis. A systematic literature search was conducted using the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane, to identify eligible studies through the index words updated till November 2018. Cross-sectional studies, as well as prospective cohort studies, were included in the above-mentioned group of eligible studies. We also searched the literature sources that had a link to the present study, which were further assessed by heterogeneity through the use of a proper-effects model to calculate pooled weighted specificity, sensitivity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). We also conducted summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) analyses for neonatal sepsis. In the present meta-analysis, there were 31 studies exploring IL-6 for the diagnostic accuracy of neonatal sepsis. The global specificity and sensitivity of IL-6 for neonatal sepsis were as follows: 88% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 83%-92%) and 82% (95% CI: 77%-86%), respectively. The global positive and negative likelihood ratio of IL-6 in diagnosing neonatal sepsis were 7.03 (95% CI: 4.81-10.26) and 0.20 (95% CI: 0.15-0.26), respectively. The global DOR was 29.54 (95%CI: 18.56-47.04) of IL-6. In addition, the area under the SROC was high for IL-6 (AUC = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.89-0.94). In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy studies of IL-6 in diagnosing neonatal sepsis. Our results suggested that IL-6 is a valid and accurate index in diagnosing early neonatal sepsis, but it still needs to be combined with other laboratory tests and specific clinical manifestations.