The Value of Interleukin-10 in the Early Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Interleukin-10 is a significant marker in neonatal sepsis. This meta-analysis evaluated the accuracy of interleukin-10 expression in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

Data source: Summary of literature review.

Study selection: A literature search strategy was developed, including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library. All publications published till October 1, 2020, were retrieved; the key words were "sepsis" and "interleukin-10."

Data extraction: The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were used to evaluate the data, and the heterogeneity of the combined results was tested according to the I2 value.

Data synthesis: A total of six articles involving 879 newborns were included in the study. The combined sensitivity was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.78-0.86), the specificity was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75-0.82), the positive likelihood ratio was 4.17 (95% CI, 2.6-6.69), and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.25 (95% CI, 0.16-0.39). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.86-0.91), and the Q index was 0.81. The combined diagnostic odds ratio was 17.52 (95% CI, 8.95-34.29).

Conclusions: Based on the results of the meta-analysis, interleukin-10 is a useful biomarker in the early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Its sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic ability are excellent. However, it needs to be combined with clinical history data for comprehensive judgment and should not be used alone for diagnosis.