OBJECTIVE: To study the role of carbon monoxide (CO) in the pathogenesis of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).METHODS: The plasma CO level was detected in 32 newborns with HIE (10 cases of mild HIE, 16 cases of moderate HIE and 6 cases of severe HIE) in the acute and recovery phases. The brain CT scan was perfomed in 32 cases 5-7 days after birth to assess the degree of brain injury. Thirty healthy neonates served as controls. RESULTS: In the acute phase, the plasma CO levels of the moderate and severe HIE infants [( 1.68 ± 1.25 ) and ( 2.79 ± 0.96 ) mg/L, respectively] were significantly higher than that of the normal controls [( 1.16 ± 0.82 ) mg/L]. The plasma CO level of the severe HIE infants was significantly higher than that of the mild and moderate ones. Moreover, the level of CO significantly increased in the neonates with brain damage compared with that in the patients without brain injury. In the recovery phase, the CO level in all the HIE neonates decreased to the normal level. CONCLUSIONS: The plasma CO level is related to the severity of neonatal HIE and the degree of brain damage. CO might play an important role in the pathogenesis of neonatal HIE."/>
Role of Carbon Monoxide in Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Abstract OBJECTIVE: To study the role of carbon monoxide (CO) in the pathogenesis of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).METHODS: The plasma CO level was detected in 32 newborns with HIE (10 cases of mild HIE, 16 cases of moderate HIE and 6 cases of severe HIE) in the acute and recovery phases. The brain CT scan was perfomed in 32 cases 5-7 days after birth to assess the degree of brain injury. Thirty healthy neonates served as controls. RESULTS: In the acute phase, the plasma CO levels of the moderate and severe HIE infants [( 1.68 ± 1.25 ) and ( 2.79 ± 0.96 ) mg/L, respectively] were significantly higher than that of the normal controls [( 1.16 ± 0.82 ) mg/L]. The plasma CO level of the severe HIE infants was significantly higher than that of the mild and moderate ones. Moreover, the level of CO significantly increased in the neonates with brain damage compared with that in the patients without brain injury. In the recovery phase, the CO level in all the HIE neonates decreased to the normal level. CONCLUSIONS: The plasma CO level is related to the severity of neonatal HIE and the degree of brain damage. CO might play an important role in the pathogenesis of neonatal HIE.
