A study of serum CK-BB activity as a diagnostic method and a predictor of neurologic outcome in asphyxiated infants

Park, Jeoung Mee; Lee, Yeong Hee; Cho, Whi Youl

Abstract

Asphyxia is the most important perinatal cause of neurologic morbidity in infants. Recently, elevated levels of CK-BB have been demonstrated in serum after asphyxic insult in infants. To evaluate the possibility of using serial measurements of CK-BB activity as a diagnostic method and a predictor of neurologic outcome in asphyxiatic infants. We studied CK-BB activity in serum of asphyxiated infants (16 preterm babies, 41 term babies) and healthy infants (11 preterm babies, 12 term babies) from birth (cord) to 5 days of serially. The results were as follows 1) Serum CK-BB activites (cord 76.0IU/L, 12 hours 34.1 IU/L, 1 day 22.4 IU/L, 2 days 8.2 IU/L) of asphyxiated preterm infants were much higher than those (cord 4.4IU/L, 12 hours 2.4IU/L, 1 day 1.6 IU/L, 2 days 1.1 IU/L) of healthy preterm infants, but there were no significant differences (P values>0.05). 2) Serum CK-BB activities (cord 59.0 IU/L, 12 hours 23.6 IU/L, day 17.6 IU/L) of asphyxiated term infants were significantly higher than those (cord 2.4 IU/L, 12 hours 2.7 IU/L, 1 day 0.4 IU/L) of healthy term infants (P values<0.05) 3) There were no significant differences in serum CK-BB activities between asphyxiated preterm infants who showed late neurologic deficits (P values>0.05) 4) Serum CK-BB activity (131.7 IU/L) at birth (cord) of asphyxiated term infants who showed late neurologic deficits was significantly higher than that (49.8 IU/L) of asphyxiated term infants who did not show late neurologic deficits (P value<0.05) In conclusion, it is suggested that serial measurement of CK-BB activity in serum of asphyxiated term infants from birth (cord) to 1 day of age is an available test for diagnosis of neonatal asphyxia and for a prediction of neurologic outcome of neonatal asphyxia.