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Published on: August 24, 2011
Oxidative stress biomarkers in the perinatal period: Diagnostic and prognostic value
Serafina Perrone1, Elisa Laschi2, Giuseppe Buonocore2
1Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Insights
Perinatal oxidative stress (OS) contributes to newborn diseases, particularly in preterm infants. Identifying reliable biomarkers in samples like cord blood is crucial for predicting outcomes and managing these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Biochemistry
- Neonatology
Background:
- Perinatal oxidative stress (OS) is implicated in various pregnancy complications.
- OS causes cellular and organ damage, especially in preterm infants, leading to free-radical related diseases.
- Existing biomarkers for OS show disease specificity and prognostic potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of oxidative stress biomarkers in perinatal disorders.
- To discuss the potential clinical applications of these biomarkers in neonatology.
- To highlight the challenges and opportunities in utilizing OS biomarkers for risk identification and outcome prediction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on perinatal oxidative stress.
- Analysis of biomarker data for lipid, protein, and DNA oxidation, and antioxidant capacity.
- Evaluation of biological samples (cord blood, urine, saliva) for biomarker investigation.
Main Results:
- Oxidative stress biomarkers demonstrate specificity for disease, prognostic power, and correlation with disease activity.
- Cord blood, urine, and saliva are identified as suitable samples for perinatal OS investigations.
- Clinical application of OS biomarkers in neonatology is still under development.
Conclusions:
- Reliable OS biomarkers are essential for managing perinatal disorders and improving neonatal outcomes.
- Overcoming technical and economic hurdles is key to implementing OS biomarkers in clinical practice.
- Further research is needed to fully leverage OS biomarkers for identifying high-risk infants and predicting their health trajectory.
Abstract:
Perinatal oxidative stress (OS) is involved in the physiopathology of many pregnancy-related disorders and is largely responsible for cellular, tissue and organ damage that occur in the perinatal period especially in preterm infants, leading to the so-called "free-radicals related diseases of the newborn". Reliable biomarkers of lipid, protein, DNA oxidation and antioxidant power in the perinatal period have been demonstrated to show specificity for the disease, to have prognostic power or to correlate with disease activity. Yet potential clinical applications of oxidative stress biomarkers in neonatology are still under study. Overcoming the technical and economic difficulties that preclude the use of OS biomarkers in the clinical practice is a challenge that needs to be overcome to identify high-risk subjects and to predict their short- and long-term outcome. Cord blood, urine and saliva represent valid and ethically acceptable biological samples for investigations in the perinatal period.
