An early study showed that increased I-FABP combined with levels of liver-FABP and TFF3 could differentiate infants with NEC from those with sepsis and the controls with a specificity of 95% or more and sensitivity of 50% as well as between medical and surgical NEC with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 100% (65). Here, TFF3 is linked to necrotizing enterocolitis.