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Does total antioxidant status relate to outcome in very preterm infants?
J A Drury1, J A Nycyk, M Baines
1Department of Child Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Women's Hospital, U.K.
Insights
Preterm infants may have inadequate antioxidant defenses, potentially contributing to complications. This study found no strong link between low antioxidant status and adverse outcomes in these infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal medicine
- Biochemistry
- Oxidative stress research
Background:
- Healthy individuals maintain a balance between free radicals and antioxidants.
- Preterm infants may have insufficient antioxidant defenses, contributing to prematurity complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between lipid peroxidation and low extracellular antioxidant status in preterm infants.
- To determine if low antioxidant status in neonates correlates with adverse outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Measured plasma total antioxidant status and malondialdehyde in 25 preterm infants during the first 11 days of life.
- Quantified total antioxidant status in a second infant group at birth, day 4, and day 10.
Main Results:
- A weak negative correlation was observed between infant total antioxidant status and malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation marker).
- Total antioxidant status was linked to plasma urate and bilirubin but not to adverse neonatal outcomes like chronic lung disease or intraventricular hemorrhage.
Conclusions:
- Low extracellular antioxidant status in preterm infants is not significantly associated with common adverse neonatal outcomes.
- If antioxidant deficiencies contribute to adverse outcomes, they are likely intracellular or localized, not systemic extracellular deficits.
Abstract:
1. In healthy humans, a balance exists between oxygen-derived free-radical production and their removal by antioxidants. In preterm infants inadequate antioxidant defences may contribute to the pathogenesis of some of the complications of prematurity. 2. Plasma total antioxidant status and malondialdehyde concentration were measured during the first 11 days of life in 25 infants to determine whether increased lipid peroxidation is associated with low extracellular antioxidant status. In a second group of infants, total antioxidant status was quantified within 12 h of birth, and subsequently on days 4 and 10 to investigate the hypothesis that adverse neonatal outcome is associated with low antioxidant status. 3. There may be a weak negative correlation between the total antioxidant status of infants and the lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde in plasma (r = -0.24, P = 0.056, n = 89) during the first 11 days of life. In the second group of infants, total antioxidant status was found to be significantly related to plasma urate and bilirubin levels, but not to adverse neonatal outcomes such as chronic lung disease, intraventricular haemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity or death. 4. If adverse neonatal outcomes are due to inadequate antioxidant defences, these are likely to be intracellular or localized rather than general extracellular deficiencies.