Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0728731 (prematurity)
 7,134 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

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.
 ...
PMID:Oxidative stress in neonates: evaluation using specific biomarkers. 1519 53

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is one of the most common congenital heart defects, accounting for 5%-10% of all congenital heart disease in term infants. The occurrence of PDA is inversely related to gestational age and weight, with an even greater incidence in preterm infants. The maintenance of ductal patency is essential for the normal development of the fetus. In the neonate, however, persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus (DA) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Normally, at birth, the DA constricts, resulting in intraluminal ischemic hypoxia, which eventually leads to closure and remodeling of the ductus. PDA in term infants is usually associated with a functional defect, whereas in preterm infants it is associated with immaturity. Normal physiologic mechanisms contributing to closure - oxygen tension and decreased prostaglandins-are altered in prematurity. Clinical signs of ductal patency include murmur, tachycardia, bounding peripheral pulses, and congestive heart failure and associated symptoms. Symptoms are not always present; therefore, diagnostic imaging is critical if a PDA is suspected on clinical grounds. Three management strategies are currently available for PDA: fluid restriction and diuretics (as clinically appropriate), medical intervention, and surgical ligation. Pharmacologic closure can be achieved via administration of intravenous indomethacin or ibuprofen lysine. While both agents have shown similar efficacy, ibuprofen lysine has demonstrated an improved safety profile, particularly in terms of renal effects, compared to indomethacin.
 ...
PMID:Patent ductus arteriosus: an overview. 2305 49

Some evidence suggests that aflatoxin may contribute to the high prevalence of stunting observed in low-income countries. Whereas several studies have been conducted in West Africa, fewer exist in East Africa and even fewer in nonagricultural contexts. We analyzed serum samples from 400 iron-replete, nonanemic pregnant women from a cohort in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to determine the extent and magnitude of exposure to aflatoxin and to study the relationship between levels of aflatoxin exposure in utero and infant birth and growth outcomes. Ninety-nine percent of women had detectable concentrations of aflatoxin B1-lysine (AFB1-lysine), with a median level of 1.4-pg/mg albumin, indicating a much lower level compared to studies of rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Our results do not show a statistically significant relationship between AFB1-lysine levels and birth weight, small for gestational age, or prematurity. We observe a small statistically significant reduction in gestational age at delivery (0.47 weeks; 95% CI: -0.86, -0.07) as the natural log of AFB1-lysine levels increases by 1 unit of pg/mg of albumin, after controlling for potential confounders. Among a nonrandom set of infants who had measurements for placental weight, haemoglobin at delivery, and follow-up z-score measurements, we find no association between aflatoxin plasma concentrations and these variables. These findings suggest a high prevalence of chronic low-level exposure to aflatoxin, though its effect on birth outcomes in this population remains unclear. Our research adds to a growing body of literature finding mixed associations between aflatoxins on pregnancy outcomes and child growth.
 ...
PMID:Aflatoxin exposure in utero and birth and growth outcomes in Tanzania. 3182 16