Background: Oxidative stress has recently been found to play a key role in post-ischemic kidney damage. We tested the hypothesis that oxidative kidney damage due to perinatal hypoxia in preterm newborns is associated with an increased production of oxidative free radicals in plasma.
Methods: Blood and urine samples were obtained at birth and on days 7 and 14, from 55 preterm newborns, without any known congenital abnormalities. Total hydroperoxides (TH) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) as indices of oxidative stress, xanthine (Xa) and hypoxanthine (Hx) as indices of hypoxia, alpha1-microglobulin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) as indices of kidney damage were assayed.
Results: Statistically significant correlations (p<0.05) were found between biochemical markers of hypoxia, oxidative stress and proximal tubules damage at days 7 and 14.
Conclusions: Perinatal oxidative stress is associated with a variable degree of kidney damage detectable at birth and continuing up to 14 days.