Nitric oxide and antioxidant enzyme levels in blood of respiratory distress syndrome--Egyptian preterms and their mothers.

BACKGROUND

The mechanisms of tissue injury in respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) have not been completely elucidated but the involvement of oxidative damage due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) is important in the pathogenesis of preterm labor and RDS.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the oxidative status in preterms with and without RDS and in their mothers.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Measuring and comparing concentrations of serum nitric oxide (NO), and erythrocytic activities of some antioxidant enzymes in blood of 20 preterms with RDS and 20 preterms without and their mothers, respectively.

RESULTS

Our results confirm significant elevation of mean levels of serum NO and reduced mean levels of erythrocytic activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), in RDS preterms and their mothers compared with controls and their mothers. A significant positive correlations were found between maternal and preterm serum NO (r=0.3 & 0.6) and erythrocytic activity of SOD (r=0.5 & 0.4) for RDS and control groups, respectively. In addition, a significant negative correlations were found between NO and SOD in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The existence of oxygen metabolites and lipid peroxidation was significantly more obvious in RDS preterms and in their mothers than those without.