Objective: The objective of the study is to investigate the association between oxidative stress markers and enzymatic / non-enzymatic antioxidants (marker of the resistance in body to oxidative damage) in the cord blood of preterm low birth weight (LBW) neonates. Methods: Malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl proteins, total antioxidant capacity and Vitamin A, E and C levels in the cord blood were determined by spectrophotometry. Results: Increased lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation with decreased values of vitamin A, E, C and total antioxidant capacity were observed in the preterm LBW newborns. Observations of negative correlation between MDA and protein carbonyl with antioxidants vitamin A, E and C and total antioxidant status points towards the existence of oxidative stress in the preterm LBW newborns. Conclusions: Poor fetal growth affects the development of antioxidant defenses of preterm LBW babies, predisposing them to higher oxidative stress, which in turn may partly account for increased morbidity and mortality in these infants. The presence of an association between oxidative stress biomarkers and enzymatic /non-enzymatic antioxidants in the cord blood of preterm LBW neonates suggest that increased oxidative stress may be the result of changes in the levels of certain enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants due to the cause or the effect of oxidative damage occurring at the molecular level.

Respiratory distress syndrome of the neonate (neonatal RDS) is still an important problem in treatment of preterm infants. It is accompanied by inflammatory processes with free radical generation and oxidative stress. The aim of study was to determine the role of oxidative stress in the development of neonatal RDS. Markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant activity in umbilical cord blood were studied in infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome with reference to healthy newborns. Status of markers of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy guanosine) showed a significant increase with depleted levels of total antioxidant capacity in neonatal RDS when compared to healthy newborns. The study provides convincing evidence of oxidative damage and diminished antioxidant defenses in newborns with RDS. Neonatal RDS is characterized by damage of lipid, protein and DNA, which indicates the augmentation of oxidative stress. The identification of the potential biomarker of oxidative stress consists of a promising strategy to study the pathophysiology of neonatal RDS.

Objectives: To analyze the status of oxidative stress in relation to the degree of prematurity and birthweight of neonates. Materials and methods: Umbilical cord blood samples were obtained at the time of delivery. 8-Hydroxy-2-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) has been measured as oxidative DNA damage marker in preterm low-birthweight (LBW) newborns by competitive in vitro enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) along with malondialdehyde (MDA) as marker of lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant status to study the oxidative stress. Results: Significant elevation in the levels of 8-OHdG along with malondialdehyde has been noted in preterm LBW newborns. Serum 8-OHdG is found to be significantly and negatively correlated with birthweight (r = −0.834, p < 0.001) and gestational age of the newborn (r = −0.626, p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results provide evidence of increased oxidative stress in the form of DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in premature LBW newborns, which may be responsible for different complications associated with prematurity.