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. 2004 Sep;89(5):F408–F411. doi: 10.1136/adc.2003.037085

Effect of blood transfusions on oxidative stress in preterm infants

C Dani, E Martelli, G Bertini, M Pezzati, M Rossetti, G Buonocore, P Paffetti, F Rubaltelli
PMCID: PMC1721737  PMID: 15321958

Abstract

Objective: To confirm the increase in non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) after packed red cell (PRC) transfusion and to evaluate the association with increased oxidative stress in preterm infants.

Method: Twenty healthy preterm infants (gestational age 28.2 (2.2) weeks; birth weight 1047 (230) g), who required blood transfusion for anaemia of prematurity were prospectively studied. Serum concentrations of NTBI, total hydroperoxides (TH), and protein SH groups, and plasma total radical trapping antioxidant capability (TAC) were measured within three hours before and after PRC transfusion. The infants were transfused with 38.6 (23) ml PRCs over 5.8 (1.0) hours, at a mean age of 43.3 (25.1) days.

Results: After PRC transfusion, haemoglobin concentration increased from 9.2 (1.1) to 14.6 (1.5) g/l. Mean plasma NTBI concentration after transfusion was significantly higher (0.43 (0.45) v 2.03 (1.31) µmol/l; p  =  0.001), while plasma concentrations of TH (212.3 (42.2) v 214.7 (66.3) Carr units/l) and protein SH groups (317.5 (38.8) v 353.8 (57.4) µmol/), and TAC (256.3 (36.1) v 267.1 (42.4) µmol HClO/ml) remained unchanged.

Conclusion: For three hours after PRC transfusion, plasma NTBI is significantly increased in preterm infants, but this is not associated with significant changes in oxidative stress.

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Figure 1.

Figure 1

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 Plasma concentration of non-transferrin bound iron before and after packed red celltransfusion. *Significantly different from before transfusion, p  =  0.001 .

Figure 2.

Figure 2

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 Changes in total hydroperoxides (TH) (Carr units/l), protein SH groups (µmol/l), and total antioxidant capability (TAC) (µmol/l) before and after packed red cell transfusion.

Figure 3.

Figure 3

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 Correlation between plasma total antioxidant capacity of plasma (TAC) and protein SH groups (SH) (A), total hydroperoxide concentration (TH) and TAC (B), and TH and SH (C), both before and after blood transfusion.

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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