iScience· 2026Q1
Serum Olink proteomics-based exploration of novel predictive biomarkers for necrotizing enterocolitis
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) in serum shows promise as an early predictive biomarker for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants, with an AUC of 0.848 in a discovery cohort and reduced levels confirmed in a validation cohort and NEC intestinal tissues.
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Key points
- Serum proteomics identified FGF5 as a potential biomarker for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
- FGF5 showed an AUC of 0.848 for discriminating NEC cases from controls in a discovery cohort.
- Lower circulating FGF5 levels were confirmed in a validation cohort.
- Intestinal FGF5 expression was reduced in NEC specimens.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening gastrointestinal emergency in preterm infants, yet reliable serum candidates for presymptomatic risk stratification remain lacking. In this exploratory study, serial pre-diagnostic serum samples from a prospective discovery cohort were profiled using the Olink proteomics platform. NEC cases and controls were individually matched for gestational age, birth weight, and sampling time. Top-ranked proteins were assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in an independent validation cohort and examined in surgical intestinal tissues. Fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) showed the highest discriminative performance with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.848. Lower circulating FGF5 levels were reproduced in the validation cohort, although the apparently perfect discrimination was imprecise because of the small sample size. Intestinal FGF5 expression was also reduced in NEC specimens. These findings support FGF5 as a promising exploratory biomarker for early NEC risk assessment, warranting larger multicenter validation and mechanistic investigation.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. iScience, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Nutrition and Dietetics
Nutrition and DieteticsNursing