BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis aimed to determine the role of human fatty acid 
binding protein 2 (FABP2) expression in the diagnosis of necrotizing 
enterocolitis (NEC) of newborns.
DATA SOURCES: Eligible studies for further statistical analysis were identified 
from various databases including PubMed, Expert Medica Database, Web of Science, 
Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, China BioMedicine and China National Knowledge 
Infrastructure. Random effects model was used, and summary standardized mean 
difference (SMD) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to assess 
the association of FABP2 expression and NEC.
RESULTS: Ten articles which included 572 infants (262 infants with NEC and 310 
healthy controls) were included in the current meta-analysis. FABP2 showed a 
positive relationship with NEC of newborns (SMD=2.88, 95% CI=2.09-3.67, 
P<0.001). And FABP2 expression was higher in patients with advanced stage of NEC 
(stage III or stage II+III) than in those with early stage of NEC (stage I) 
(SMD=-0.48, 95% CI=-0.87 to -0.09, P=0.015). Ethnicity-stratified analysis 
yielded significantly different estimates with a high FABP2 expression in NEC in 
both Caucasians (SMD=3.16, 95% CI=1.90-4.43, P<0.001) and Asians (SMD=2.57, 95% 
CI=1.50-3.64, P<0.001). Sample-based subgroup analysis showed that FABP2 
expression was positively correlated with neonatal NEC in both urinary- and 
blood-sample subgroups (all P<0.05).
CONCLUSION: The results prove that the high FABP2 expression is related to the 
damage to intestinal cells, which may be a possible early detection marker 
identifying neonatal NEC.