title: Inorganic sulfate metabolism in the very low birthweight infant.
abstract: The effect of vitamin D supplementation on inorganic sulfate metabolism was examined in very low birth weight (less than 1,500 g) infants at biweekly intervals after birth until 6 weeks of postnatal age. Baseline serum sulfate concentrations were significantly higher in all infants (471 +/- 24 mumol/l, n = 80) than in adults (299 +/- 25 mumol/l, n = 17). In controls, the levels did not change significantly over the ensuing 6 weeks, although serum creatinine declined. Urinary sulfate excretion rose significantly to near adult levels by 2 weeks. Both urine and serum sulfate were correlated with weight gain but not with estimated glomerular filtration rate, suggesting that factors other than renal clearance have a preponderant influence on serum sulfate in these infants. At 6 weeks, the mean serum sulfate in the high-dose group (receiving 2,170 +/- 23 U/day of vitamin D, n = 41) was significantly higher than in controls (receiving 360 +/- 22 U/day, n = 40). In all infants, there was a significant correlation (r = 0.36, p less than 0.001) between serum sulfate and 25(OH)-vitamin D concentrations, but not other analytes or clinical variables, suggesting that vitamin D may be one of the factors modulating sulfate metabolism in the newborn period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raad
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000378:metabolism*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013431:Sulfates; D014807:Vitamin D; D003404:Creatinine