Background: The relationship between uric acid and microalbuminuria in healthy adults without other cardiovascular risk factors may help to clarify the role of uric acid in cardiovascular disease. Objective: To study and compare the association of serum uric acid levels with microalbuminuria in normotensive and pre-hypertensive subjects without a history of cardiovascular disease or renal dysfunction. Materials and Methods: 350 subjects were included in study. All the routine investigations along with serum uric acid and urinary albumin were conducted. Microalbuminuria was detected by immunoprecipitation in a random urine sample. Serum uric acid level was estimated by Spectrophotometry. Results: The overall prevalence of prehypertension was 38.06% (Males, 39.10% and females, 35.56%). The total prevalence of microalbuminuria was 11.61% (9.9% of normotensives and 14.4% of pre-hypertensives). Hyperuricemia was seen in 10.32% of the total study population. Among normotensives, 9% of males and 8.6% of females and in pre-hypertensive subjects, 14% of males & 9.4% of females had hyperuricemia. Among the prehypertensives, those with microalbuminuria had a significantly higher (p<0.001) serum uric acid level (7.024 ± 1.023 mg/dl) as compared to those without microalbuminuria (5.089 ± 0.965 mg/dl). Conclusion: This study demonstrates a strong independent association between uric acid level and microalbuminuria in pre-hypertensive subjects without a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes decreased renal function.

Neonatal sepsis is an important cause of neonatal deaths globally. Diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is established based on microbiological tests of sepsis screen and clinical status. Mid phase markers of inflammation like CRP & Serum Procalcitonin are considered useful and sensitive for diagnosis. Most of the studies evaluating serum PCT as a diagnostic marker for neonatal septicemia have been carried out in peripheral venous blood with smaller sample sizes with inclusion of neonates without considering perinatal sepsis score. This hospital based, prospective study compares the diagnostic utility of cord blood Procalcitonin (PCT) with venous blood PCT; alone and as part of sepsis screening parameters currently in use in perinatal sepsis score positive neonates. Statistical analysis for cord blood Serum Procalcitonin (PCT) for detecting blood culture positive patients showed that PCT has a sensitivity of 44.4%, a high specificity of 86.4%, a low PPV of 33.3% and a high NPV of 91.1%. Overall diagnostic accuracy is 80.9%, indicating that cord blood PCT is a good test for identifying these patients (p < 0.05). However, venous blood PCT failed to demonstrate similar results. Conclusions- Umbilical blood sampling protects the neonates from pain of venipunctures. Cord blood PCT estimations have statistically significant correlation with blood culture and other sepsis screen parameters and better sensitivity and specificity than venous blood PCT. This early serological biomarker is valuable for the diagnostic armamentarium of neonatal septicemia for early diagnosis and management while awaiting blood culture reports and helps in reducing separation of probable sepsis neonates from mother, thus contributing in developmental supportive care.