Monocyte Count in Preterm Neonates With and Without Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Hematology

Background:

• Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a critical gastrointestinal condition affecting preterm neonates.
• Blood monocyte concentration is emerging as a potential biomarker for NEC diagnosis in low birth weight infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare blood monocyte counts in preterm neonates diagnosed with NEC versus those without NEC.
• To evaluate the diagnostic potential of absolute monocyte count (AMC) for NEC in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 160 preterm neonates (80 with NEC, 80 controls) in Tehran.
• Retrospective review of medical records and complete blood count (CBC) findings.
• Comparison of absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), white blood cells (WBC), and absolute monocyte count (AMC) between groups.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in ANC or ALC between NEC and control groups.
• Absolute WBC count was significantly higher in the NEC group (P=0.001).
• Absolute monocyte count (AMC) was significantly lower in the NEC group (262±193) compared to controls (518±691) (P=0.002).
• AMC demonstrated diagnostic accuracy of 0.693 for NEC and 0.738 for stages II and III NEC.

Conclusions:

• Blood monocyte concentration may serve as a valuable indicator for NEC in preterm neonates.
• Further studies are warranted to confirm the utility of monocyte counts as a diagnostic marker for NEC.