Prooxidant-antioxidant balance in umbilical cord blood of infants with meconium stained of amniotic fluid.

Mohammad Hassan Arjmand,Fatemeh Tara,Farhat Ahmad Shah,Amin Jalili,Masoud Saleh Moghadam,Daryoush Hamidi Alamdari,Mojtaba Mosavi Bazaz

doi:10.1155/2013/270545

Abstract

Objective. Using a novel assay termed prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) assay to determine prooxidant-antioxidant balance in umbilical cord blood of infants with meconium stained of amniotic fluid (MSAF). Passage of meconium in amniotic fluid is associated with increase of neonatal mortality and morbidity. This complication occurs in about 15% of infants and is more widespread in postterm neonates. About 1.5 percent of neonates with MSAF develop meconium aspiration syndrome. Method. Sera of 29 umbilical cord blood of infants with MSAF and 32 healthy infants (HI) were collected. Both groups had nonsmoker and non-alcoholic mothers with no diseases. The PAB was measured. Result. There was a significant increase of PAB value (32.8 ± 15.9 HK) in umbilical cord blood of infants with MSAF in comparison to HI (24.5 ± 12.6 HK) (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between PAB value and age of mothers. Conclusion. The increased PAB value in infants with MSAF showed that these infants are exposed to oxidative stress. Further research with larger population is needed to demonstrate the oxidative stress in infants with MSAF.

Highlights

Meconium is composed of desquamated cells from the intestine and skin, gastrointestinal mucin, lanugo hair, fatty material from the vernix caseosa, amniotic fluid, and intestinal secretions
Meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) can cause mechanical obstruction of airways and pulmonary air leak, pneumonitis, vasoconstriction of pulmonary vessels, and inactivation of surfactant effect which could result in pulmonary inflammation and apoptosis. 7% to 20% of deliveries at term have meconium in the amniotic fluid, which would reach to 40% in postterm deliveries [4]. 5% of infants born through MSAF develop meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) which is a real threat to many newborns worldwide, with a case fatality rate of 5%, in addition
There was no significant correlation between prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) value and the age of mothers (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Meconium is composed of desquamated cells from the intestine and skin, gastrointestinal mucin, lanugo hair, fatty material from the vernix caseosa, amniotic fluid, and intestinal secretions. It contains blood group-specific glycoproteins, biliary acids (cholic, chenodeoxycholic, deoxycholic, and lithocholic), copper, zinc, magnesium, calcium iron, phosphorus, and plasma proteins such as alpha1-antitrypsin and phospholipase A2. There are the numerous prooxidants (POX) and antioxidants (AO), and a delicate balance between the production and the elimination of POX is maintained. POX (O2−, H2O2, OH−, etc.) derive either from metabolic processes or from external sources and can potentially react with the body’s own molecules. AO consists of the soluble antioxidants (vitamin C, urate, etc.), the lipid soluble antioxidants (vitamin E, A, etc.), and the enzymatic antioxidants (catalase, peroxidase, dismutase, etc.) [7]

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Results

Conclusion