title: Enzymatic and immunologic quantitation of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase in adults and in neonates of different gestational ages.
abstract: Human erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) was purified and specific antiserum was raised in rabbits. Enzyme preparations from adults and from newborns were shown to be indistinguishable in their immunologic and electrophoretic properties. Erythrocyte SOD was quantitated in blood specimens from adults and in cord blood specimens from neonates of different gestational ages, using both an immunologic and an activity assay. The mean values of SOD concentration and SOD activity for adults and for newborns of average size for gestational age (AGA) showed no significant difference. Adult red cells contained 28.0 +/- 8.3 SOD units/mg hemoglobin (Hgb) whereas AGA neonatal red cells had 28.5 +/- 8.3 SOD units/mg Hgb. Immunologic quantitation by single radial immunodiffusion revealed 0.69 +/- 0.07 micrograms SOD/mg Hgb in adults and 0.70 +/- 0.14 micrograms SOD/mg Hgb in the AGA neonates; however, the SOD concentrations from both small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) neonates were significantly lower than those of the AGA neonates and the adults (SGA: 0.57 +/- 0.24 micrograms SOD/mg Hgb, P less than 0.05; LGA: 0.59 +/- 0.16 micrograms SOD/mg Hgb, P less than 0.05).
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000201:enzymology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase