Paula Sánchez-Pintos1, Alejandro Pérez-Muñuzuri2, Jose Ángel Cocho3, Jose Ramón Fernández-Lorenzo4, Jose María Fraga2,3, Maria L Couce2,3. 1. a Department of Pediatrics , Hospital da Barbanza , Ribeira , Spain . 2. b Neonatal Unit, Department of Pediatrics , Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain . 3. c Diagnosis and Treatment Unit of Metabolic Diseases , Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela , Santiago de Compostela , Spain , and. 4. d Department of Pediatrics , Complexo Universitario de Vigo , Vigo , Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To verify whether small-for-gestational-age (SGA) preterm newborns represent a special risk group for carnitine deficiency. Secondary outcome includes assessment of longitudinal differences of total carnitine (TC), free carnitine (FC) and acylcarnitines between SGA and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA). METHODS: A retrospective study to evaluate carnitine and acylcarnitines profile on 144 very-low-birth weight newborns (VLBW), classified as AGA (n = 73) and SGA (n = 71), was performed by tandem mass spectrometry, during their first 5 weeks of life. Carnitine deficiency was defined as FC <40 µmol/L and FC/TC <0.7. RESULTS: Carnitine deficiency was observed in the two study groups throughout the monitoring period (maximum FC: 36.05 µmol/L in AGA and 32.24 µmol/L in SGA). FC/TC remains under 0.7 in both with progressive improvement. Unlike expected, a comparatively higher value of TC, FC and total acylcarnitines (tAC) was found in SGA during the first 2 weeks, with significant relevance on day 3-5, especially for tAC (p < 0.001). The only acylcarnitine with persistently lower value in SGA is C5 (p < 0.05 in first 2 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: A carnitine deficiency was demonstrated in all VLBW. Although birth weight restriction has been suggested as a risk factor for impaired carnitine status, in our study, SGA was not related with higher carnitine deficiency.
OBJECTIVE: To verify whether small-for-gestational-age (SGA) preterm newborns represent a special risk group for carnitine deficiency. Secondary outcome includes assessment of longitudinal differences of total carnitine (TC), free carnitine (FC) and acylcarnitines between SGA and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA). METHODS: A retrospective study to evaluate carnitine and acylcarnitines profile on 144 very-low-birth weight newborns (VLBW), classified as AGA (n = 73) and SGA (n = 71), was performed by tandem mass spectrometry, during their first 5 weeks of life. Carnitine deficiency was defined as FC <40 µmol/L and FC/TC <0.7. RESULTS:Carnitine deficiency was observed in the two study groups throughout the monitoring period (maximum FC: 36.05 µmol/L in AGA and 32.24 µmol/L in SGA). FC/TC remains under 0.7 in both with progressive improvement. Unlike expected, a comparatively higher value of TC, FC and total acylcarnitines (tAC) was found in SGA during the first 2 weeks, with significant relevance on day 3-5, especially for tAC (p < 0.001). The only acylcarnitine with persistently lower value in SGA is C5 (p < 0.05 in first 2 weeks). CONCLUSIONS:A carnitine deficiency was demonstrated in all VLBW. Although birth weight restriction has been suggested as a risk factor for impaired carnitine status, in our study, SGA was not related with higher carnitine deficiency.
Entities:
Keywords:
Acylcarnitines; carnitine; small for gestational age; tandem mass spectrometry; very-low-birth weight
Authors: Loek L Crefcoeur; Monique G M de Sain-van der Velden; Sacha Ferdinandusse; Mirjam Langeveld; Rose Maase; Frédéric M Vaz; Gepke Visser; Ronald J A Wanders; Frits A Wijburg; Rendelien K Verschoof-Puite; Peter C J I Schielen Journal: JIMD Rep Date: 2020-09-08
Authors: Oliver C Watkins; Hannah E J Yong; Tania Ken Lin Mah; Victoria K B Cracknell-Hazra; Reshma Appukuttan Pillai; Preben Selvam; Neha Sharma; Amaury Cazenave-Gassiot; Anne K Bendt; Keith M Godfrey; Rohan M Lewis; Markus R Wenk; Shiao-Yng Chan Journal: Int J Mol Sci Date: 2022-08-04 Impact factor: 6.208