Gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in urine of newborn infants.
Gamma-Carboxyglutamic acid (GLA) was measured in the urines obtained from 11 full-term infants, 48 pre-term infants appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and 25 small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants. Separation was performed by high resolution anion exchange chromatography. The results were similar in both AGA and SGA infants. During the first 3 days of life, urinary GLA mean (and range) was 1.66 (0.34-4.60) in the low birth weight infants versus 0.88 (0.26-1.38) in the full-term infants and 0.76 (0.62-1.15) mumol . kg-1 X 24 h-1 in the control adults. In the low birth weight infants, urinary GLA fell from 2.79 (0.61-5.75) at age 1-3 days, to 1.55 (0.26-4.04) mumol/24 h at day 8 (p less than 0.01); it then rose again slowly to 2.12 (0.65-3.93) mumol/24 h at day 45. In these infants there was no correlation between urinary GLA excretion and birth weight or gestational age, or urinary hydroxyproline or serum alkaline phosphatase. Despite the well-known reduced blood levels of vitamin K dependent coagulation factors in neonates, these results show that urinary GLA excretion is at least similar to the excretion in adults. These data suggest that these neonates can carboxylate glutamic acid and that the newborn infant has a high bone turnover.
D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D005971:Glutamates / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000652:urine; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male
D005971:Glutamates; D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D006909:Hydroxyproline