Morniroli Daniela, Dessì Angelica, Giannì Maria Lorella, Roggero Paola, Noto Antonio, Atzori Luigi, Lussu Milena, Fanos Vassilios, Mosca Fabio
a NICU, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health , Fondazione IRCCS Ca` Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Universita` degli Studi di Milano , Milano , Italy.
b Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Puericulture Institute and Neonatal Section, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, University of Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2019 Jul;32(14):2310-2318. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2018.1432040. Epub 2018 Feb 15.
Preterm infants' body composition at term-corrected age differs from that of term infants but appears to be similar at the age of 3 months. The aim of this study was to compare the metabolomic pattern of preterm infants at term and at 3 months with that of term infants and to determine its association with body composition development.
We designed a pilot study. Growth and body composition were evaluated by an air displacement plethysmography system in 13 preterm infants and seven term newborns at term and at 3 months of corrected age. Urine samples were collected at the same time points and analysed by nuclear magnetic resonance.
At term-corrected age, preterm infants showed a higher fat mass percentage compared with that of term newborns, whereas at 3 months of corrected age, the body composition parameters were similar between the groups. At the first time point, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed a urinary increase in choline/phosphocholine, betaine and glucose in preterm infants. At the second time point, the preterm group exhibited a urinary increase in choline/phosphocholine and a decrease in betaine.
The increased urinary excretion of choline, a betaine precursor, could reflect a potential altered metabolism in preterm infants.
足月矫正年龄的早产儿身体成分与足月儿不同，但在3个月龄时似乎相似。本研究的目的是比较早产儿足月时和3个月龄时与足月儿的代谢组学模式，并确定其与身体成分发育的关联。
我们设计了一项试点研究。通过空气置换体积描记系统对13名早产儿和7名足月儿在足月时和矫正年龄3个月时的生长和身体成分进行评估。在相同时间点采集尿液样本，并通过核磁共振进行分析。
在足月矫正年龄时，早产儿的脂肪量百分比高于足月儿，而在矫正年龄3个月时，两组之间的身体成分参数相似。在第一个时间点，核磁共振分析显示早产儿尿液中的胆碱/磷酸胆碱、甜菜碱和葡萄糖增加。在第二个时间点，早产组尿液中胆碱/磷酸胆碱增加，甜菜碱减少。
作为甜菜碱前体的胆碱尿排泄增加可能反映了早产儿潜在的代谢改变。
