Protein biomarkers for early predictions of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Perinatal asphyxia is a temporary interruption of oxygen availability that results in neonatal morbidity and mortality. The exact burden of perinatal asphyxia is unknown due to the lack of valid and accepted diagnostic criteria applicable to resource-limited settings. After sepsis, it is the second most important cause of neonatal death. Though there are tests available that can indicate whether an infant is suffering from birth asphyxia or not, they are not the gold standard. There is a dire need for early detection biomarkers for birth asphyxia so that the outcome of birth asphyxia can be avoided. Urinary and serum proteomics has rapidly developed and standard collection and experiment protocols are now available. With the help of the ‘omics’ approach, we can speed up biomarker discovery and widely use it to facilitate diagnostic and therapeutic developments for many diseases. Some of the promising biomarkers found in urine and serum are APOC3, ORM1, SOD1, FABP1, and AZGP1.