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Haptoglobin in diagnosis of sepsis

Journal of Perinatology volume 32, page 312 (2012)Cite this article

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It was interesting to see that concentrations of haptoglobin (Hp) in the newborn have been ‘rediscovered’ by Chavez-Bueno et al.1 They suggest that Hp ‘can be consistently measured from birth in both term and preterm neonates’. This is attributed to the use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique for measurement.

Forty years ago, I documented that Hp levels could be measured consistently in both term and preterm infants2, 3 using a somewhat labor-intensive method.4 Furthermore, I suggested (as do Chavez-Bueno et al) that Hp might have a role as an acute phase reactant in detecting neonatal infection. This was also the opinion of Salmi5 who wrote extensively about determining Hp in newborns with infection. Because of this, I included Hp as one of several acute phase proteins evaluated in trying to make an early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.6 In that study, Hp was measured both by the Tarukoski method4 and by a semiquantitative modified latex agglutination method (Behring Diagnostics, Somerville, NJ, USA), positive when Hp concentration was >25 mg dl−1. Hp was considerably less useful than C-reactive protein (CRP).

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References

  1. Chavez-Bueno S, Beasley JA, Goldbeck JM, Bright BC, Morton DJ, Whitby PW et al. Haptoglobin concentrations in preterm and term newborns. J Perinatol 2011; 31 (7): 500–503.

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  2. Philip AGS . Haptoglobins in the newborn, I : full term infants. Biol Neonate 1971; 19 (1): 185–193.

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  3. Philip AGS . Haptoglobins in the newborn, II : low birth-weight babies. Biol Neonate 1971; 19 (4): 332–338.

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  4. Tarukoski PH . Quantitative spectrophotemetric determination of haptoglobin. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 1966; 18 (1): 80–86.

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  5. Salmi TT . Haptoglobin levels in the plasma of newborn infants: with special reference to infections. Acta Paediatr Scand (Suppl. 241) 1973; 1–55.

  6. Philip AGS, Hewitt JR . Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Pediatrics 1980; 65 (5): 1036–1041.

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  7. Martinez de Tejada B, Stan CM, Boulvain M, Renzi G, Francois P, Irion O et al. Development of a rapid PCR assay for screening of maternal colonization by group B streptococcus and neonatal invasive Escherichia coli during labor. Gynecol Obstet Invest 2010; 70 (4): 250–255.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    A G S Philip

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  1. A G S Philip
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Correspondence to A G S Philip.

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Philip, A. Haptoglobin in diagnosis of sepsis. J Perinatol 32, 312 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2011.189

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