2Uz. Dr., Zekai Tahir Burak Women?s Health Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Türkiye
3Doç. Dr., Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Kayseri, Türkiye
4Doç. Dr., Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Division of Neonatology, Kayseri, Türkiye
5Asist. Dr., Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Ankara, Türkiye
6Prof. Dr., Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Ankara, Türkiye
7Uz. Dr., Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Kayseri, Türkiye Purpose: To investigate systemic oxidative stress by evaluating serum dynamic thiol/disulfi de concentrations using a novel automated homeostasis assay in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) patients.
Materials and methods: Patients (n = 71) with a birthweight less than 1,500 g or gestational age less than 32 weeks were recruited. Groups were categorized based on those who developed ROP (n=48) and those without ROP (controls) (n = 23). The native and total thiol, disulfi de levels as well as disulfi de-to-native, disulfi de-to-total thiol, and native thiol-to-total thiol ratios were examined and analyzed between the ROP and control groups using a novel automatized spectrophotometric assay.
Results: Levels of disulfide as well as the ratios of disulfi de/native thiol and disulfi de/total thiol were augmented, while the native/total thiols were reduced signifi cantly in the ROP patients when compared to controls (mean ± SD, 19.6 ± 7.4 vs. 14.4 ± 3.4 ?mol/L, p < 0.001 for disulfi de, median (IQR), 5.8 (3.8?8.1) vs. 4.3 (3.7?5.8) ?mol/L, p = 0.017 for disulfi de/native thiol, median (IQR), 4.7 (3.3?6.1) vs. 3.7 (3.2?4.7) ?mol/L, p = 0.017 for disulfi de/total thiol, median (IQR), 80.9 (75.3?86.5) vs. 85.1 (81.0?87.1) ?mol/L, p = 0.017 for native thiol/total thiol levels). There were no signifi cant differences between stages of ROP and any of the thiol-disulfi de parameters (p > 0.05 for all values).
Conclusion: These findings showed that the thiol/disulfi de homeostasis was altered in the ROP patients. This metabolic imbalance may be important in the etiology of ROP.
Keywords : Native thiol, oxidative stress, retinopathy of prematurity, thiol/disulfi de homeostasis, total thiol