The influence of dietary long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCP) supply, and especially of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on evoked potential maturation, was studied in 58 healthy preterm infants using flash visual evoked potentials (VEPs), flash electroretinography (ERG), and brainstem acoustic evoked potentials (BAEPs) at 52 weeks of postconceptional age. At the same time, the fatty acid composition of red blood cell membranes was examined. The infants were fed on breast mlk (n=12), a preterm formula supplemented with LCP (PF-LCP)(n = 21), or a traditional preterm formula (PF)(n= 25). In the breast milk and PF-LCP groups the morphology and latencies of the waves that reflect the visual projecting system were similar; in the PF group the morphology was quite different and the wave latencies were significantly longer.This could mean that the maturation pattern of VEPs in preterm infants who did not receive LCP was slower. Moreover, a higher level of erythrocyte LCP, especially DHA, was found in breast milk and PF-LCP groups compared with the PF group. ERG and BAEP recordings were the same in all three groups.These results suggest that a well balanced LCP supplement in preterm formulas can positively influence the maturation of visual evoked potentials in preterm infants when breast milk is not available. During the third trimester of human fetal growth and the first four to six postnatal months, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) and especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), accumulate in the brain and retina. This coincides with the rapid maturation of the nervous system and photoreceptors."13 Preterm infants may be LCP deficient because of both the lack of intrauterine nutrition in the last months of pregnancy and the relative immaturity of the enzymes necessary to elongate and desaturate their essential fatty acid precursors.4 An LCP supplement, and especially DHA, in preterm formulas improves maturation of rod photoreceptor function and visual acuity in early postnatal development.As far as we know, an evaluation of the influence of infant diet on neurophysiological maturation of flash visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and low rate brainstem acoustic evoked potentials (BAEPs) has never been carried out. We therefore performed a prospective controlled single blind study on preterm infants to evaluate the effect of LCP, either incorporated into the formula or present in breast milk, on the maturation of flash VEPs, flash electroretinography (ERG), and low rate BAEPs. Moreover, we analysed the fatty acid composition in red blood cell membranes as an index of neural and retinal tissue composition. MethodsSixty six preterm infants were enrolled in the study: they were less than 33 weeks of gestational age, of appropriate weight, and with no malformation that could interfere with somatic and/or psychomotor development. They had no neurological, visual, acoustic or gastroenterological illnesses. None had experienced perinatal asphyxia. All of them had normal fundus oculi. By the 10th day of life all o...

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RBC transfusion significantly increased RDW values. This intervention should be accurately reported in the studies evaluating the prognostic role of RDW.

BACKGROUND: Autologous blood transfusion (ABT) is a performance-enhancing method prohibited in sport; its detection is a key issue in the field of anti-doping. Among novel markers enabling ABT detection, microRNAs (miRNAs) might be considered a promising analytical tool. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:We studied the changes of erythroid-related microRNAs following ABT, to identify novel biomarkers. Fifteen healthy trained males were studied from a population of 24 subjects, enrolled and randomized into a Transfusion (T) and a Control (C) group. Seriated blood samples were obtained in the T group before and after the two ABT procedures (withdrawal, with blood refrigerated or cryopreserved, and reinfusion), and in the C group at the same time points. Traditional hematological parameters were assessed. Samples were tested by microarray analysis of a pre-identified set of erythroid-related miRNAs. RESULTS:Hematological parameters showed moderate changes only in the T group, particularly following blood withdrawal. Among erythroid-related miRNAs tested, following ABT a pool of 7 miRNAs associated with fetal hemoglobin and regulating transcriptional repressors of gamma-globin gene was found stable in C and differently expressed in three out of six T subjects in the completed phase of ABT, independently from blood conservation. Particularly, two or more erythropoiesis-related miRNAs within the shortlist constituted of miR- 126-3p, miR-144-3p, miR-191-3p, miR-197-3p, miR-486-3p, miR-486-5p, and miR-92a-3p were significantly upregulated in T subjects after reinfusion, with a person-to-person variability but with congruent changes. CONCLUSIONS:This study describes a signature of potential interest for ABT detection in sports, based on the analysis of miRNAs associated with erythroid features.A utologous blood transfusion (ABT) is a performance-enhancing method prohibited in sport, 1 with its detection a key issue in the anti-doping field. Given the lack of a method for its direct detection, 2-5 an approach to the indirect detection of ABT has been considered. The athlete biological passport (ABP) hematological module 6-8 has been adopted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to identify and, when necessary, sanction athletes showing abnormal changes in hematological parameters. Novel markers enabling ABT indirect detection have also been proposed, [2][3][4][9][10][11][12][13] including those derived from genomics applied to microRNAs (miRNAs), and are considered a promising analytical tool. [14][15][16][17] In this respect, miRNAs are short non-coding RNA molecules, which act as gene regulators by repressing translation or by inducing the cleavage of target RNA transcripts. [18][19][20][21] Recent evidence suggests that miRNAs (including miRNAs present as extracellular molecules in plasma) can be considered a From the

AHOM and SAHOM displayed some differences, however occurrence and risk factors for complications and sequelae are similar, and the same empiric treatment might be recommended.