URINARY HYPOXANTHINE, XANTHINE AND URIC ACID EXCRETION IN NEWBORN INFANTS WITH PERINATAL COMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The concentration of hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid in the first 24 h urine of 105 newborn infants was measured densitometrically by TLC. Moderate or severe perinatal complication were observed in 45. Among these newborns, 26 infants with perinatal complication (58%) and 4 infants without perinatal complications (7%) had an elevated urinary excretion rate of hypoxanthine. Urinary xanthine was not increased; uric acid was slightly higher in the group of infants with perinatal complications. It seems that a crucial mark is involved if the rate of hypoxanthine exceeds 15% of the total urinary oxypurine excretion or, if related to urinary creatinine, more than 0.075 .mu.mol hypoxanthine/.mu.mol creatinine. Apparently with hypoxic newborns increased values of urinary hypoxanthine excretion can be used to quantify the lack of oxygen retrospectively.