Galectin-4 as a Novel Biomarker of Neonatal Intestinal Injury.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Biomarker discovery

Background:

• Neonates face gastrointestinal emergencies like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP).
• Accurate diagnosis of these conditions is critical for timely intervention.
• Identifying reliable biomarkers is essential for early detection and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and evaluate intestinal-specific proteins as potential biomarkers for neonatal intestinal injury.
• To compare serum concentrations of these proteins in infants with and without intestinal emergencies.

Main Methods:

• In silico analysis was used to identify candidate intestinal-specific proteins.
• Serum samples from control infants and infants with NEC or SIP were collected.
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure protein concentrations.

Main Results:

• Galectin-4 (Gal-4) was identified as a promising candidate, with low concentrations in control infants.
• Significantly elevated Gal-4 levels were observed in infants with surgical NEC and SIP.
• Gal-4 concentrations did not show significant elevation in infants with medical NEC.

Conclusions:

• Circulating Gal-4 concentrations are low in healthy neonates.
• Elevated Gal-4 levels in infants with surgical NEC or SIP indicate its potential as a biomarker.
• Gal-4 shows promise for diagnosing neonatal intestinal injury, particularly surgical cases.