title: [Serum levels of homocysteine and folate in neonates with asphyxia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether serum homocysteine and folate levels are correlated with the occurrence of neonatal asphyxia and to study the effects of gender and gestational age on serum homocysteine and folate levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five neonates with mild asphyxia (19 males and 16 females) and 40 normal neonates (control group,18 males and 22 females) were enrolled in this study. The asphyxia and the control groups consisted of 10 and 11 cases of preterm infants respectively. Serum homocysteine levels were measured using ELASA. Serum folate levels were measured using radioimmunity assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum homocysteine level (14.66+/-2.61 micromol/L vs 7.55+/-0.50 mumol/L; P<0.05) was significantly higher and serum folate level (2.47+/-0.24 ng/mL vs 3.28+/-0.28 ng/mL; P<0.05) was significantly lower in the asphyxia group than that in the control group. There were no significant differences in serum levels of homocysteine and folate between males and females either in the asphyxia group or the control group. The asphyxiated neonates born at premature showed increased serum homocysteine level compared with the full-term neonates with asphyxia (21.25+/-5.01 micromol/L vs 12.34+/-2. 01 micromol/L; P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased serum homocysteine level and decreased serum folate level are correlated with the occurrence of neonatal asphyxia. Serum homocysteine and folate levels are not associated with the gender. A more significantly increased serum homocysteine level may be found in asphyxiated neonates born at premature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, 252 Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Baoding, Hebei 071000, China. miwenyu2@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Mi
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tie-Cheng
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Cong-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhi-Ying
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-Peng
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid