title: Plasma levels of dimethylarginines in preterm very low birth weight neonates: its relation with perinatal factors and short-term outcome.
abstract: Endogenously produced inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, in particular asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), are currently considered of importance in various disease states characterized by reduced NO availability. We investigated the association between plasma levels of ADMA, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), L-arginine, and citrulline and perinatal factors and outcome in 130 preterm (gestational age ≤ 30 weeks) very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500 g) infants. Plasma samples were collected 6-12 h after birth. We did not find significant correlations between ADMA, SDMA, L-arginine, and citrulline levels and gestational age or birth weight. However, the arginine:ADMA ratio (AAR, a better indicator of NO availability than either arginine or ADMA separately) was positively correlated with gestational age. ADMA and arginine levels were not significantly different between males and females but males showed a negative correlation between ADMA levels and gestational age. Perinatal factors such as preeclampsia, chrorioamnionitis, prolonged rupture of membranes, or form of delivery did not significantly alter dimethylarginine levels or AAR. In contrast, the AAR was significantly reduced in the infants with respiratory distress, mechanical ventilation, and systemic hypotension Therefore, our data suggest that altered NO availability may play a role in the respiratory and cardiovascular adaptation in preterm VLBW infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Medical Center Parkstad, Heerlen 6401CX, The Netherlands. m.huizing@mumc.nl.
authors.forename: Rob M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Moonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht 6202AZ, The Netherlands. m.huizing@mumc.nl.
authors.forename: Maurice J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Huizing
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20122, Italy. giacomo.cavallaro@mangiagalli.it.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil de Canarias, Las Palmas de Gran, Canaria 35016, Spain.
authors.forename: Gema E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: González-Luis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil de Canarias, Las Palmas de Gran, Canaria 35016, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bas-Suárez
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Maastricht 6202AZ, The Netherlands. j.a.bakker@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Jaap A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht 6202AZ, The Netherlands. e.villamor@mumc.nl.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Villamor
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*; D001724:Birth Weight; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D002956:Citrulline / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D002956:Citrulline; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine