Abstract
Objective Fetal calprotectin levels increase in the early stages of necrotizing enterocolitis.
Although the effects of several factors on fetal calprotectin have been studied, the
effect of phototherapy is not known. In this study, we analyzed the effect of phototherapy
on fetal calprotectin levels.
Methods Ninety breast-fed newborns (46 male, 44 female) who were hospitalized for indirect
hyperbilirubinemia and treated with phototherapy were included to the study. Forty-two
of them were term and 44 of them were preterm. Newborns treated with phototherapy
(n = 53) constituted the phototherapy group (29 preterm, 24 term) and 37 newborns who
did not receive phototherapy (19 preterm, 18 term) constituted the control group.
Fecal samples were collected 24 hours after phototherapy had been started. Fecal samples
(100 mg) were weighed with sensitive scales and preserved at −80°C after buffering
with a special solution. All samples were studied at the same time with a fecal calprotectin
kit by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results There were no statistically significant difference between fecal calprotectin levels
of term and preterm babies who received phototherapy and babies who did not receive
phototherapy.
Conclusion There was no effect of 24-hour phototherapy on fecal calprotectin levels in preterm
and term newborns.
Keywords
calprotectin - phototherapy - newborns
