title: [Levels of L-carnitine in the Venezuelan infant population].
abstract: The L-carnitine blood serum and amniotic fluid levels were measured in 133 samples obtained from clinically healthy patients: 39 pregnant women with a fetal gestational age ranging from 14 to 40 weeks, 13 newborn children less than a day old, 19 newborn children between the ages of 1 and 30 days, 8 breast-feed babies and 19 children over two years of age. No significant statistical differences were seen in the maternal blood serum and amniotic fluid samples for the different gestational ages considered in the study. The average values were found to be 22.6 +/- 5.1 nmol/mL for maternal blood serum and 25.3 +/- 9.4 nmol/mL for amniotic fluid. The blood serum levels were found to be greater in the group between the ages of 1 to 30 days, reaching levels of 43.1 +/- 7.4 nmol/mL. In the group aged 1 month-18 years, the serum levels were on the average 34.3 +/- 6.7 nmol/mL. The variations found among these groups reflect characteristics specific of our population. These values should be further researched since they differ from those values reported by the Anglo-Saxons. L-carnitine concentration; blood serum level; amniotic fluid level.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clarembaux
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guevara
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Montesinos
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood* / Q000592:standards; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012015:Reference Standards; D014687:Venezuela
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine
vernacular_title: Niveles de L-carnitina en la población infantil venezolana.