World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

STUDY THE LEVELS OF NITRIC OXIDE, MALONDIALDEHYDE AND TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY AMONG TERM NEONATES WITH SEPSIS

*Dr. Ahlam Mohammed Jawad Ibrahim, Dr. Sahar Awad Hassan and Shatha Jaafer Naser

ABSTRACT

Neonatal sepsis with its high mortality rate still remains a diagnostic and treatment challenge for neonatal health care providers. Sepsis represents an oxidative stress condition when occurs in neonates due to rapid changes in tissue oxygen concentrations with immature antioxidant mechanisms. Our study aimed to study serum levels of oxidants and antioxidants levels among term neonates with sepsis. This case-control study included 30 full term newborns with sepsis in addition to 30 healthy newborns as controls, recruited from NICU of the pediatric department at Al-Alawiya pediatric hospital. Full history, thorough clinical examination, complete blood count (CBC), Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood culture were performed to all included patients. Serum levels of nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAO) were assayed to all included neonates using colorimetric methods. The overall results showed statistically significant higher serum levels of MDA and NO with lower TAO levels among septic neonates when compared with the controls (P value<0.01). Additionally, all the previously measured biochemical oxidative stress markers didn't show significant differences between early and late onset septic groups. It can be concluded from this study that there is a strong evidence of involvement of oxidative stress in neonatal sepsis, mainly NO, MDA and TAO, and could be helpful in its diagnosis. Also, targeting of therapeutic strategies towards the pro-oxidant pathways may be beneficial in neonatal sepsis.

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