FIBRONECTIN LEVELS IN INDIAN NEONATES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

Cord blood samples were estimated for serum fibronectin (Fn) by immuno electrophoresis !IE) and enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) in 250 newborn healthy and sick infants classified into 6 categories: i. e., term appropriate for date (TAFD), preterm appropriate for date (PT AFD), term small for date (TSFD), preterm small for date (PTSED), birt h asphyxia (BA) and septicemia (SEP). TAFD infants were assayed for pl asma Fn in addition. Comparison of Fn levels in the different groups b y the Wilcoxan rank sum test indicated no significant difference betwe en term and preterm infants, between PTAFD and PTSFD, TAFD and TSFD an d in infants with and without birth asphyxia. Babies with septicemia h ad a significantly (P < 0.01) lower Fn level (29.97 +/- 29.03 mg/l) th an those with no septicemia (42.77 +/- 30.20 mg/l). TAFD infants had F n levels (serum 41.44 +/- 31.08 mg/l, plasma 85.20 +/- 33.38 mg/l) tha t are less than half the levels reported in the Western literature for newborn term infants. A possible cause could be the associated medica l problems in mothers as 41 per cent of mothers of TAFD infants had co nditions such as pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, infection etc.