Proteomic and extracellular particle changes in preterm neonates with suspected late-onset sepsis
Neonatal sepsis remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. In this prospective, multisite observational study, proteomics and extracellular particle analysis were performed on platelet-poor plasma from neonates at the point of clinical suspicion for sepsis ( n = 110). Neonates were then classified by their clinical teams into three groups: culture-proven sepsis, culture-negative sepsis, or non-sepsis. Neonates with culture-proven sepsis demonstrated statistically significant differences in their analyzed proteome compared to neonates deemed to have non-sepsis, while those with culture-negative sepsis did not. Extracellular particle concentration and type, as determined by flow cytometry, did not differ between the three groups. This study provides further evidence that culture-proven sepsis and culture-negative sepsis are not equivalent diagnoses in the neonatal population without a consensus definition for sepsis. The proteins identified in the culture-positive group may be of utility in determining neonatal sepsis endotypes, but this would require further validation.
Authors
- Peter Doran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2064-5335)
- Claire Anne Murphy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9611-8606)
- Anna Curley
- Richard John Drew (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9797-3797)
- Daniel P. O’Reilly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8575-2353)
- E. Fouhy
- Craig N. Morrell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9131-4862)
- Patricia B. Maguire (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0362-3778)
- Naomi McCallion (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0723-1982)
- Rosanna Inzitari
- Isobel Claire Gormley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7713-681X)
- Fionnuala Ní Áinle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0163-792X)
- Carmel Maria Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4164-3195)
- Kieran J. Wynne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5759-5285)
- John A. O'Loughlin
- Laura J. Ryan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9371-3793)
- Lauren Murphy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7633-8749)
Institutions
- University College Dublin (IE)
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (IE)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (US)
- Rotunda Hospital (IE)
- Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (IE)
- Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin (IE)
- Temple Street Children's University Hospital (IE)
- Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital (IE)
- National Maternity Hospital (IE)
- Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics (IE)
- University of Rochester (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- iScience
- Published
- 2026-10-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117895
- Primary Topic
- Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- Health Research Board
- Science Foundation Ireland