Given that TJ protein degradation is implicated as an early event in NEC and that urinary claudin levels have been identified as a potential marker for this breakdown, we hypothesized that urinary claudin-2 levels would be elevated in neonates with NEC as compared to those without NEC, and therefore urinary claudin-2 levels could serve as a potential predictor of early NEC. Here, CLDN2 is linked to necrotizing enterocolitis.