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Query: UMLS:C0728731 (prematurity)
 7,134 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Agricultural activity on Prince Edward Island poses a potential hazard to groundwater, which is the sole source of drinking water on the island. This study investigates the potential impact of groundwater nitrate exposure on prematurity and intrauterine growth restriction on Prince Edward Island. A total of 210 intrauterine growth restriction cases, 336 premature births, and 4098 controls were abstracted from a database of all Island births. An ecological measure of groundwater nitrate level was used to gauge potential exposure to agriculturally contaminated drinking water. The higher nitrate exposure categories were positively associated with intrauterine growth restriction and prematurity, and significant dose-response trends were seen, even after adjustment for several important covariates. Nevertheless, these risks must be interpreted cautiously because of the ecological nature of this exposure metric. An investigation using nitrate levels for individual study subjects is needed to confirm this association.
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PMID:Agricultural contamination of groundwater as a possible risk factor for growth restriction or prematurity. 1132 99

Increased oxidative stress has been implicated in pathogenesis of serious diseases in neonates. We measured urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (a marker of oxidative DNA damage), acrolein-lysine adduct (a marker of lipid peroxidation and oxidative protein damage), and nitrite/nitrate (a marker of endogenous nitric oxide formation) in one-month-old neonates to examine the status of oxidative stress and its relationship to the degree of prematurity and clinical condition in neonates. Study subjects comprised three groups: healthy term neonates, clinically stable preterm neonates requiring no supplemental oxygen, and clinically sick preterm neonates requiring supplemental oxygen and ventilator support. Urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and acrolein-lysine adduct were significantly higher in sick preterm neonates than those of stable preterm and healthy term neonates. In the sick preterm group, neonates developing active retinopathy showed significantly higher levels of acrolein-lysine adduct than the other neonates without retinopathy. There were no significant differences in both urinary markers of oxidative stress between stable preterm and healthy term neonates. The urinary nitrite/nitrate levels were not significantly different among the three groups, suggesting no difference in endogenous nitric oxide formation. Collectively, these results provide evidence of augmentation of oxidative damage to DNA, lipids and proteins, especially in clinically sick preterm neonates.
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PMID:Oxidative stress in neonates: evaluation using specific biomarkers. 1519 53

Endothelial cells produce nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of NO synthase. Little is known about the potential physiological roles of ADMA in a perinatal setting. This study measures concentrations of ADMA in umbilical blood using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and those of NO as nitrite/nitrate (NOx(-)) using the Griess assay. Their relationship to the degree of prematurity and maternal clinical condition is examined. Results show that ADMA concentrations in umbilical blood from control newborns were about twice as high as those of lactating women, healthy children, and healthy adults. Umbilical blood NOx(-) concentrations from control newborns were about half of those of lactating women, healthy children, and healthy adults. Consequently, the levels of ADMA relative to NOx(-) were about 4-fold higher in umbilical blood from control newborns than in blood from lactating women, healthy children, and healthy adults. Furthermore, the umbilical blood ADMA concentrations and the ratios of ADMA to NOx(-) in newborns were higher according to their birth prematurity and lower birth weight. The umbilical ADMA concentrations were independent of the delivery mode and maternal preeclampsia. We infer that the high ADMA levels play physiological roles in maintaining vascular tone and blood redistribution to vital organs during birth, thereby favoring the circulatory transition from fetal to neonatal life.
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PMID:Determination of asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, in umbilical blood. 1819 Oct 51