Combining NT-proBNP and IL-1 RL1 tests performed well, enabling additional identification of asymptomatic babies<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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MONDAY, June 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Automated quantitative tests for NT-proBNP and interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (IL-1 RL1) can identify high-risk congenital heart disease (CHD) in newborns, according to a study published online June 24 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Henning Clausen, M.D., from Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues examined the performance of two diagnostic tests using minimal amounts of dried blood spots (DBS) to identify high-risk CHD in a Swedish cohort of neonates. Automated quantitative tests for NT-proBNP and IL-1 RL1 (formerly known as soluble ST2) were compared against established CHD screening methods among 313 newborns.<\/p>\n The DBS samples analyzed included 217 CHD cases and 96 controls; of the CHD cases, 89.3 percent (188 cases) were high-risk types, of which 38.8 percent (73 cases) were suspected prenatally. The researchers found that 94 (50.0 percent) of the high-risk cases passed pulse oximetry screening and 36 (19.1 percent) were discharged after birth without diagnoses. Compared with existing screening methods, combining NT-proBNP and IL-1 RL1 tests performed well, enabling additional identification of asymptomatic babies, with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.95.<\/p>\n “Tests were accurate and performed well in differentiating healthy controls from high-risk CHD cases,” the authors write. “This warrants prospective evaluation to improve early diagnosis of CHD in this vulnerable population of newborns.”<\/p>\n Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry; one reported having a patent pending for screening products.<\/p>\n