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Neonatal Erythrocyte Glutathione Peroxidase Deficiency as a Consequence of Selenium Imbalance during Pregnancy
Author(s) -
Perona G.,
Guidi G. C.,
Piga A.,
Cellerino R.,
Milani G.,
Colautti P.,
Moschini G.,
Stievano B. M.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1979.tb01169.x
Subject(s) - selenium , glutathione peroxidase , red blood cell , medicine , endocrinology , selenium deficiency , pregnancy , peroxidase , glutathione , physiology , chemistry , enzyme , biology , biochemistry , genetics , organic chemistry
S ummary . The red blood cell (RBC) glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activity and routine haematological parameters were measured in 38 healthy north Italian full‐term pregnant women and in their newborn infants. In 31 pairs the serum selenium concentration was also measured. Data were compared with those of 20 normal adult controls (10 males and 10 females). Newborn infants exhibited significantly lower RBC GSH‐Px activity and serum selenium concentrations than adult controls. Pregnant women had serum selenium values intermediate between those of adult female controls and their newborn infants. In both the pregnant women and newborns the RBC GSH‐Px activity correlated with the level of selenium in serum which suggests that the neonatal RBC GSH‐Px deficiency may be partially due to insufficient availability of selenium during pregnancy. Factors other than selenium concentration, e.g. hormonal and genetic, might also affect the RBC GSH‐Px activity as suggested by sex differences and mother/child concordances in enzyme activity found in our cases.