Plasma chain-breaking antioxidants in preterm infants with good and poor short-term outcome

Abstract

Many complications of prematurity have been suggested to result from free radical generation and an inadequacy of antioxidative capacity. We measured the plasma total peroxyl radical-trapping capability (TRAP) and concentrations of the main chain-breaking antioxidants contributing to it, i.e. uric acid, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, protein sulfhydryl groups and bilirubin, in 21 preterm infants with a mean birth weight of 1440 g and gestational age of 30 wk. The infants were divided into two groups according to their short-term outcome; the good outcome group (GOG) (N = 11) with no signs of morbidity and the poor outcome group (POG) (N = 10) with intraventricular haemorrhage and/or bronchopulmonary dysplasia and/or retinopathy. Arterial blood samples were obtained 3 and 10 days postpartum. TRAP was measured with a chemiluminescent method. As a comparison, venous blood samples from 13 adults (aged from 18 to 34) were used. At day 3 the poor outcome group had significantly higher TRAP than the good outcome or control group, mainly because of elevated uric acid concentration. Also the concentration of unidentified antioxidants was significantly lower in GOG. By day 10 the TRAP decreased substantially in both groups. However, from the components of TRAP, both ascorbate and the unidentified fraction decreased more in POG (p = 0.017 and 0.021, respectively). Furthermore in POG on day 10 urate concentration did not significantly differ from day 3 values. In conclusion, in preterm infants high TRAP was associated with high plasma uric acid concentration and a poor short-term prognosis.