Sažetak
Background: Vitamin B₁₂ is an essential micronutrient that plays a critical role in DNA synthesis, methylation, and cellular energy metabolism. Its deficiency during the intrauterine period has been associated with increased oxidative stress and DNA damage, which may have lasting effects on the newborn. 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage, is widely used to evaluate these processes. However, the effects of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency on such biomarkers at birth remain insufficiently investigated.
Methods: This single-center, prospective case-control study included 48 term newborns with vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and 40 healthy controls matched for gestational age. Vitamin B₁₂, total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, oxidative stress index, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine were measured from umbilical cord venous blood obtained immediately after delivery. Oxidant and antioxidant levels were determined using colorimetric methods, and oxidative DNA damage was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Group comparisons were made using appropriate statistical tests, with significance set at p<0.05.
Results: Vitamin B₁₂ levels were significantly lower in the patient group. Levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index were significantly higher, whereas total antioxidant status showed no significant difference between groups.
Conclusions: Term newborns with vitamin B₁₂ deficiency exhibited increased oxidative stress and measurable oxidative DNA damage at birth. The unchanged total antioxidant status may reflect the immature antioxidant defense system in the neonatal period. Biomarker evaluation at delivery could assist in early identification and intervention for infants at risk of complications associated with intrauterine vitamin B₁₂ deficiency.
Ključne reči
Reference
The published articles will be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY). It is allowed to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and remix, transform, and build upon it for any purpose, even commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given to the original author(s), a link to the license is provided and it is indicated if changes were made. Users are required to provide full bibliographic description of the original publication (authors, article title, journal title, volume, issue, pages), as well as its DOI code. In electronic publishing, users are also required to link the content with both the original article published in Journal of Medical Biochemistry and the licence used.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.