Investigation of Urinary Beta-2 Microglobulin Level in Neonates with Asphyxia Admitted in Alzahra Hospitals in Isfahan, 1396-1397

Despite advances in perinatal care, perinatal asphyxia (PA) remains one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity at birth. Asphyxia is associated with the dysfunction of different organs of the body. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the urinary biomarker of beta-2 microglobulin in neonates with asphyxia.

This case-control study was performed on neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of AL Zahra and Shahid Beheshti hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, during 2017-18. On the second day of birth, beta-2 microglobulin was measured in urine samples using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.

The mean level of beta-2 microglobulin in the group with asphyxia (9.91±6.16) was significantly higher than that in the control group (3.83±4.03) (P=0.001). Moreover, analysis of beta-2 microglobulin level in the group with asphyxia showed that the mean serum level of neonates with acute renal failure (13.14±6.27) was significantly higher than that in newborns without acute renal failure (6.68±4.24) (P=0.02).

The results of our study suggest that the beta-2 microglobulin level can be evaluated as a marker of neonatal asphyxia. Furthermore, its level was significantly associated with acute kidney injury. It is suggested that further studies be conducted with a larger sample size.