Mittermayer Friedrich, Prusa Andrea-Romana, Pollak Arnold, Wolzt Michael
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
Early Hum Dev. 2006 Jul;82(7):421-4. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2005.08.005. Epub 2005 Dec 20.
Infants born term have substantially elevated plasma concentrations of the endogenous nitric oxide synthase antagonist asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) that normalize with growth. The plasma levels of ADMA in preterm newborns are unknown.
Plasma concentrations of ADMA, symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA) and L-arginine were analyzed from venous umbilical cord blood samples of 19 preterm and 21 term infants by high performance liquid chromatography.
Male preterm newborns (n=11) had higher ADMA (median [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.90 [1.73-2.10] micromol/l) than females born preterm (n=8; 1.57 [1.24-1.69] micromol/l; p<0.005). In term born males (n=10) and females (n=11) ADMA was significantly lower than in preterm male infants (all p<0.005), and without sex differences. SDMA and L-arginine concentrations were comparable between all groups. ADMA correlated inversely with body weight in male preterm newborns (r=-0.67; p<0.03).
Male neonates delivered preterm have significantly higher umbilical cord venous plasma concentrations of ADMA compared to female neonates and infants born term. The sex difference and the time course of elevated ADMA may play a role in development and warrant further investigation.
足月儿出生时血浆中内源性一氧化氮合酶拮抗剂不对称二甲基精氨酸（ADMA）浓度显著升高，且随生长发育而恢复正常。但早产儿血浆中ADMA水平尚不清楚。
采用高效液相色谱法分析19例早产儿和21例足月儿脐静脉血样本中ADMA、对称二甲基精氨酸（SDMA）和L-精氨酸的血浆浓度。
早产男婴（n = 11）的ADMA水平（中位数[95%置信区间（CI）]：1.90 [1.73 - 2.10] μmol/L）高于早产女婴（n = 8；1.57 [1.24 - 1.69] μmol/L；p < 0.005）。足月出生的男婴（n = 10）和女婴（n = 11）的ADMA水平显著低于早产男婴（所有p < 0.005），且无性别差异。所有组间SDMA和L-精氨酸浓度相当。早产男婴中，ADMA与体重呈负相关（r = -0.67；p < 0.03）。
与女婴和足月儿相比，早产男婴脐静脉血浆中ADMA浓度显著更高。ADMA的性别差异及其升高的时间过程可能在发育中起作用，值得进一步研究。
