title: Visfatin: New marker of oxidative stress in preterm newborns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxidative stress is involved in several neonatal conditions characterized by an upregulation in the production of oxidative or nitrative free radicals and a concomitant decrease in the availability of antioxidant species. Oxygen, which is obviously vital to survival, can be highly damaging to neonatal tissue which is known to be poorly equipped to neutralize toxic derivatives. Thus, exposure of the newborn infant to high oxygen concentrations during resuscitation at birth increases oxidative damage. Visfatin is an adipocytokine involved in oxidative stress and an important mediator of inflammation that induces dose-dependent production of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. To our knowledge, the diagnostic value of visfatin as a marker of oxidative stress in preterm newborns has not been investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate visfatin levels in preterm neonates resuscitated with different concentrations of oxygen in the delivery room.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two preterm newborns with gestational age less than 32 weeks, resuscitated randomly with different oxygen concentrations (40%, 60%, or 100%) were enrolled at the University Hospital of Messina, over a 12-month period to evaluate serum visfatin levels at T0 (within 1 h after birth), T24 h, T72 h, and T168 h of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At T72 h and T168 h, higher serum visfatin values in the high-oxygen group compared to the low- and mild-oxygen subjects (P=0.002 and P<0.001, respectively) were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that visfatin could be a new marker of oxidative stress in preterm newborns.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy lmarseglia@unime.it.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marseglia
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.affiliation: University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manti
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aversa
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiamingo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Paediatric Genetics and Immunology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arrigo
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barberi
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mamì
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Eloisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gitto
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; C085455:nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, human
keywords: NAMPT/visfatin; oxidative stress; oxygen; preterm newborns; resuscitation