title: Characteristics and functional properties of red cells during the first days of life.
abstract: In order to evaluate postnatal red blood cell (RBC) properties and whole-blood rheology, 36 healthy full-term newborn infants were tested twice (cord blood, 4th-day blood) for whole-blood flow rate, hematocrit, hemoglobin (Hb), RBC count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular Hb and its concentration, white blood cell and platelet count, plasma fibrinogen, erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase, catalase and superoxide dismutase. Another 38 healthy full-term newborns were tested twice for separation of erythrocytes into fractions of different density. Healthy adults were taken as control. The results showed a decreased whole-blood flow rate in blood drawn on the 4th day with respect to cord blood. A multivariate analysis with flow rate as dependent variable demonstrated a significant positive correlation with GSH-Px on the 4th day. The assays of RBC densities showed a significant increase in the first 4 days.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gioia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bracci
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000032:analysis; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005340:Fibrinogen; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase