CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF NON TRANSFERRIN-BOUNDIRON SUITABLE FOR USE ON THE PLASMA AND BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID OF PRETERM BABIES

1. Non-protein-bound iron has been implicated in the aetiology of chro nic lung disease of prematurity. 2. The modification of a method for t he measurement of non-transferrin-bound iron in small volumes of plasm a and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from preterm babies is described. 3 . The assay runs with a good degree of precision and a lower limit of detection of 0.02 mu mol/l. 4. Non-transferrin-bound iron was detected in 50% of plasma samples and 11% of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samp les collected over the first week of life from babies born prematurely .