Serum fibroblast growth factor 19 as a predictor for early stage of gastrointestinal-liver dysfunction in pediatric patients with sepsis

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) secrets from intestinal epithelial cells and proved to be associated with functioning ileum in Crohn’s disease and alcoholic steatohepatitis. In the present study, we aimed to explore the potential value of FGF19 as a biomarker for assessment of gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction in pediatric patients with sepsis.Methods: We performed a prospective study to enroll pediatric patients with sepsis admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Shanghai Children’s Hospital from January 2018 to December 2018. Serum FGF19 levels at PICU admission were determined, and the clinical and laboratory parameters were collected.Results: Significantly decreased serum FGF19 levels were found in patients with sepsis-associated GI dysfunction. Lower serum FGF19 levels than 60 μg/mL on PICU admission is predictive for GI dysfunction. Correlation analyses revealed significant correlations of serum FGF19 with hemoglobin, and low FGF19 serum concentration less than 52 μg/mL on PICU admission is related to GI dysfunction-associated liver injury. Conclusion: Serum FGF19 is a novel predictor for GI dysfunction or GI-liver dysfunction in pediatric patients with sepsis.