title: Cord blood prolidase activity correlates with gestational age and birth weight.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolidase, a specific iminopeptidase involved in collagen turnover, is especially active in growing tissues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between cord blood prolidase activity and both birth weight and gestational age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cord blood was collected consecutively from 50 healthy newborns (35 term, 15 preterm). Prolidase activity was measured in the samples using standard methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themean +/- SD cord blood prolidase activity was 41.4 +/- 6.9 U/l in term infants and 35.2 +/- 8.0 U/l in preterm infants and these were significantly different (p < 0.01). There were positive correlations between cord blood prolidase and both birth weight (r = 0.533, p < 0.01) and gestational age (r = 0.806, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cord blood prolidase activity may be a good indicator of fetal maturation and gestational age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty of Firat University, Elazig, Turkey. drnesekurt@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A Nese
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Citak Kurt
authors.forename: Bilal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ustundag
authors.forename: Saadet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akarsu
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Cesur
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ocal
authors.forename: A Denizmen
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Aygun
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D004150:Dipeptidases / Q000097:blood*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D004150:Dipeptidases; C022449:proline dipeptidase