Abstract
Background: We compared prooxidant and antioxidant capacity in newborns with mild, moderate, and severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy with a control group.
Methods: Twenty-eight newborns were included in the perinatal asphyxia group and 32 healthy newborns were included in the control group. Newborns in the perinatal asphyxia group were divided into two groups as mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (n=12) and moderate+severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (n=16) groups according to the Sarnat Classification. Basal venous blood samples were taken from the newborns in the mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (n=12), moderate+severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (n=16) and the control group (n=32) at the postnatal 1st hour, and the level of total oxidative stress and total antioxidant capacity were studied. Oxidative stress index was calculated as the percent ratio of total oxidative stress to antioxidant capacity in all newborns.
Results: Total antioxidant capacity level was significantly higher in the mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy group (n=12) compared to the control group (n=32) (p=0.04). No statistically significant difference was found between the mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, moderate+severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and control groups in terms of total oxidative stress and oxidative stress index
Conclusion: High antioxidant capacity predicted the diagnosis of mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. There is a need for studies showing a cut-off value for antioxidant capacity as a biomarker in the diagnosis of HIE. Maternally given antioxidant therapy can be neuroprotective in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy where there is a clinical picture of mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in newborns with a high antioxidant capacity. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether maternal antioxidants are neuroprotective in newborns.