Abstract 1998

Introduction: The evaluation of perinatal cerebral hypoxia is still difficult and probably dependent on the developmental state of the brain. New approaches to early diagnosis were developed using biochemical markers as predictive indices for later neurologic or developmental disability. In this study protein S-100 (PS-100), a cytosolic constituent of neuroglial cells, was measured in term and preterm infants with and without perinatal asphyxia.

Patients and method: PS-100 has been studied at 72 h of life in 32 neonates of different gestational age (11 term and 21 preterm infants) by radioimmunoassay. Furthermore, term and preterm infants with perinatal asphyxia were compared to control babies (Anova).

Results: PS-100 was not significantly different in healthy term and preterm babies (1.1±0.5/0.6±0.3 ug/l, p>0.5). Preterm babies suffering perinatal hypoxic damage had higher PS-100 values than age matched control infants (2.6±1.5/0.6±0.3 ug/l, p<0.05) and higher values than hypoxic term babies (2.6±1.5/0.7±0.2 ug/l, p<0.05). No difference was noted in term infants with or without perinatal asphyxia.

Conclusion: These data suggest that serum PS-100 levels are not related to gestational age and that PS-100 can be considered a marker of perinatal hypoxic insult in preterm neonates.