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Phototherapy causes DNA damage in peripheral mononuclear leukocytes in term infants

Ali Aycicek1, Abdurrahim Kocyigit, Ozcan Erel

  • 1Pediatrics Department, Medical Faculty, Harran University, Sanliurfa, Turkey. ayciceka@hotmail.com

Jornal De Pediatria
|March 20, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Phototherapy for neonatal jaundice increases DNA damage in infant leukocytes. Both conventional and intensive phototherapy elevate oxidative stress markers, indicating potential cellular harm.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Neonatal jaundice is common, often treated with phototherapy.
  • Phototherapy's potential to induce cellular damage requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if phototherapy induces DNA damage in mononuclear leukocytes.
  • To assess the correlation between phototherapy, DNA damage, and oxidative stress in jaundiced infants.

Main Methods:

  • A comet assay measured DNA damage in 65 term infants (3-10 days old) undergoing intensive or conventional phototherapy.
  • Plasma antioxidant capacity, oxidant status, and bilirubin levels were analyzed.
  • A control group of 19 infants was included for comparison.

Main Results:

  • Infants receiving phototherapy showed significantly higher DNA damage scores compared to controls (p < 0.001).
  • Oxidative stress markers (total oxidant status, oxidative stress index) were elevated in phototherapy groups (p = 0.005 and p = 0.041, respectively).
  • No significant correlation was found between DNA damage and bilirubin or oxidative stress levels.

Conclusions:

  • Both conventional and intensive phototherapy lead to endogenous mononuclear leukocyte DNA damage in jaundiced term infants.
  • Phototherapy appears to induce oxidative stress, contributing to DNA damage.
Abstract

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