Comparison of serum IL-1beta and C reactive protein levels in early diagnosis and management of neonatal sepsis

Clinical signs and symptoms of non-infectious diseases are similar to those of infectious diseases during infancy. Therefore, rapid new methods for diagnosis of infections in infants are urgently needed. To examine the utility of measuring serum IL-1 beta for immediate diagnosis of sepsis in infants, in this cross-sectional epidemiological study blood samples were taken from 83 infants (41 female and 42 male) in whom infection was suspected and who were admitted to hospital. To perform serum interleukin (IL)-1 beta and quantitative C-reactive protein (CRP) tests, blood samples were placed in ice containers and delivered to the laboratory. The serum was removed from the samples at 4 degrees Celsius and stored in refrigerators at minus 30 degrees Celsius until the time of testing. The results were analysed by t tests. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of serum IL-1 beta were 27%, 71%, 25%, and 73%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of serum quantitative CRP were 76%, 60%, 40% and 88%, respectively. Hence quantitative serum CRP measurement for the diagnosis of infections is more efficient than measuring serum IL-1 beta levels. In general, quantitative serum CRP measurement as an alternative to other tests such as serum IL-1 beta assays might be an ideal test for diagnosing infections in infants.