Level of the iris in the newborn diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis

Objective: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most common and life-threatening gastrointestinal system (GIS) problems seen in newborns, especially in premature babies. Despite all the developments in neonatal intensive care, it is still important cause of mortality and morbidity in the neonatal period. In our study, it was aimed to examine irisin levels in premature babies with a diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis and compare them with the control group. Material and Methods: Our study was conducted prospectively in Neonataology, Department of Pediatrics at Dicle University Faculty of Medicine. The study consisted of a total of 80 cases with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks or a birth weight of ≤1500 grams who born between November 2021 and April 2022. Demographic data and laboratory parameters of all patients were prospectively recorded and used in our study. Results: The irisin level in patients with a diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis was found to be statistically significantly higher than in patients without a diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis. C-reactive protein and procalcitonin values were found to be significantly higher in the case group compared to the control group. Statistical analysis of erythrocyte suspension transfusion was found to be significantly higher in the case group compared to the control group. The irisin level in patients with necrotizing enterocolitis was found to be statistically significantly higher in both surviving and deceased infants compared to the control group. Irisin levels in all stages of necrotizing enterocolitis were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. Conclusion: The fact that irisin levels were high in patients with NEC in our study suggests that the use of irisin as a biomarker in the diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis is worth investigating. Keywords: Irisin, Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Prematurity.