INCREASED BILIRUBIN PRODUCTION, CERULOPLASMIN CONCENTRATIONS AND HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA IN FULL-TERM NEWBORN-INFANTS

Ceruloplasmin possesses antioxidant activity in vitro, but such a prop erty has not been substantiated in vivo so far. However, it has been s uggested that the lack of factors protective against oxidative haemoly sis might have a role in neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. Ceruloplasmin a nd alphafetoprotein concentrations were measured in cord blood in 78 u nselected fullterm singleton newborn infants without G6PD deficiency a nd haemolytic disease of the newborn; in the same infants, the carboxy haemoglobin level was assessed on the fourth day of life and taken as an index of bilirubin production. The relationship between these varia bles and maximum bilirubin level in the first 4 days was studied by mu ltiple regression analysis. High carboxyhaemoglobin levels and low cer uloplasmin concentrations, but not alphafetoprotein resulted, associat ed with hyperbilirubinaemia (P < 0.001), No relationship was found bet ween carboxyhaemoglobin and ceruloplasmin levels, These results exclud e an important role for ceruloplasmin in protecting against possible o xidative haemolysis in full-term newborn infants. Ceruloplasmin levels in cord blood are most probably related to hepatic metabolism and are better predictors of hyperbilirubinaemia than alphafetoprotein concen trations.