Antioxidant status and oxidant stress may be associated with vitamin E intakes in very low birth weight infants during the first month of life

Premature infants are vulnerable to tissue damage due to supplemental oxygen intake. We hypothesized that oxidative injury as indicated by plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) would be related to nutrient intakes, RBC superoxide dismutase and catalase, plasma vitamin E, and mean daily oxygen exposure (FiO(2)). Therefore 43 infants < 1500 g birthweight were examined 3 times during the first 28 days of life. Whole blood was collected at Days 4, 14, 28. On Day 4, MDA was correlated with FiO(2) (r = +0.40, p = 0.001) and inversely correlated with plasma vitamin E (r = -0.35, p = 0.028). Plasma vitamin E levels were correlated with vitamin E intakes on Day 4 (r = +0.25, p = 0.02). Plasma data indicated that not all infants handled vitamin E intakes the same. Catalase was correlated with FiO(2) at Day 4 (r = +0.34, p = 0.037), suggesting up regulation of antioxidant defences with early oxygen exposure. Early nutrient intervention may decrease tissue damage from oxygen exposure. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.