Serum Amino Acid Levels in Term and Preterm Neonates.

Youn,  You Sook; Kim,  Sook Za; Chang,  Mea Young

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Neonatology 2006;13(1):90-96.
Published online May 1, 2006.

Serum Amino Acid Levels in Term and Preterm Neonates.

You Sook Youn, Sook Za Kim, Mea Young Chang

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea. mychang@cnuh.co.kr
²Korean Genetic Research Center, Korea.

만삭아와 미숙아에서 혈중 아미노산 농도의 비교

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Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was aimed to analyze the level of serum amino acids according to the sex, birth weight, gestational age in neonates.
METHODS
Amino acid was measured by tandem mass spectrometry from the dried blood spots. We measured serum alanine, citrulline, glycine, methionine, ornitine, tyrosine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine levels in 172 neonates admitted to the NICU at Chungnam National University hospital from March 2003 to September 2003 and the data was analyzed according to the sex, birth weight, gestational age.
RESULTS
There were no differences of serum amino acid level between term and preterm neonates according to the sex. However, there were significant statistical differences in serum amino acid level according to the birth weight (> or =2,500 g vs. <2,500 g) and gestational age (> or =37 weeks vs. <37 weeks). The level of alanine, citrulline, glycine, methionine, ornitine, tyrosine, valine, leucine was low in under 2,500 g (P<0.05), and in preterm neonates (P<0.05). Especially, preterm neonates under 1,800 g had low levels of valine and leucine (P<0.05). The serum levels of methionine, ornitine, valine, leucine were low in neonates with gestational age of less than 34 weeks (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Awareness of low serum amino acid levels in preterm neonates is essential to improve nutritional supplements and catch-up growth.

Key Words: Serum amino acid; Term; Preterm; Neonates