Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) remains a common problem in premature infants. Treatment options include pharmacologic therapy and surgical ligation, but these are associated with potentially significant adverse effects. This report describes the effect of administering oral paracetamol to premature neonates with PDA. The study enrolled seven premature neonates followed up with the diagnosis of hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) between February and December 2012 and treated with oral paracetamol. Patients with hsPDA were given at least two or more courses of ibuprofen treatment. If this therapy failed to promote ductal closure, the patients with clinical symptoms who had hsPDA defined by echocardiography were treated with oral paracetamol (15 mg/kg every 6 h). If these patients did not respond to paracetamol therapy, the PDA was closed by surgical ligation. The mean gestational age of the seven patients in this study was 26.1 weeks, and their mean birth weight was 936 g. Paracetamol treatment was started at 36.2 ± 11.6 days. The mean internal ductal diameter was 2.0 ± 0.2 mm, and the left atrium-to-aorta ratio was 1.5 ± 0.2. All the patients were administered oral paracetamol because of no response to ibuprofen treatment. The hsPDA was successfully closed with oral paracetamol in five (71.4 %) of the seven patients. The remaining two patients had surgical ligation performed, but one of them died. No side effects related to paracetamol were observed. Oral paracetamol may be used as an alternative drug for the management of hsPDA in premature neonates when ibuprofen treatment is unsuccessful and the only other therapeutic option is surgery.

This experimental study showed that oxidative stress and NO contributed to the pathogenesis of hyperoxia-induced lung injury, and that resveratrol had a preventive effect on hyperoxic lung injury through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

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Microcephalic primordial dwarfism (MPD) is a group of autosomal recessive inherited single-gene disorders with intrauterine and postnatal global growth failure. Seckel syndrome is the most common form of the MPD. Ten genes are known with Seckel syndrome. Using genome-wide SNP genotyping and homozygosity mapping we mapped a Seckel syndrome gene to chromosomal region 4q28.1-q28.3 in a Turkish family. Direct sequencing of PLK4 (polo-like kinase 4) revealed a homozygous splicing acceptor site transition (c.31-3 A>G) that results in a premature translation termination (p.[=,Asp11Profs*14]) causing deletion of all known functional domains of the protein. PLK4 is a master regulator of centriole biogenesis and its deficiency has recently been associated with Seckel syndrome. However, the role of PLK4 in genomic stability and the DNA damage response is unclear. Evaluation of the PLK4-Seckel fibroblasts obtained from patient revealed the expected impaired centriole biogenesis, disrupted mitotic morphology, G/M delay, and extended cell doubling time. Analysis of the PLK4-Seckel cells indicated that PLK4 is also essential for genomic stability and DNA damage response. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of the severe growth failure associated with PLK4-deficiency.

Objective: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk of future obesity and associated comorbidities. Therefore the identification of risk factors and novel biomarkers which are associated with this risk are needed for early detection and to improve preventive strategies. Spexin (SPX), a novel neuropeptide that is involved in the regulation of obesity and fat metabolism, is a candidate biomarker for predicting obesity and related comorbidities at an early age. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of SPX in term infants born small, appropriate, and large for gestational age (LGA) and its association with newborn anthropometric measurements. Methods: One hundred and twenty term newborn babies classified as SGA, appropriate for gestational age (AGA), or LGA and their mothers were included. SPX, leptin and visfatin were measured in cord blood and maternal serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Fifty-six (46.7%) neonates were girls and 64 (53.3%) were boys. The mean birth weight was 3170.70±663 g, birth length was 48.9±2.79 cm, and head circumference was 34.5±1.67 cm. Birth weights, lengths, and head circumferences of the neonates in the SGA, AGA, and LGA groups were significantly different. Cord blood SPX and leptin levels in the SGA groups were significantly lower than those of both the LGA and AGA groups. Cord blood visfatin levels were significantly lower in the AGA group than the LGA and SGA groups. Maternal SPX levels of SGA babies were significantly lower than those of the mothers in both the LGA and AGA groups, but no significant difference was observed between the SGA and LGA groups. Maternal visfatin levels of the AGA babies were significantly higher than the maternal levels of SGA and LGA groups. There was no difference in terms of maternal leptin levels. Cord blood SPX and leptin levels were positively correlated with birth weight, length and head circumference. Birth weight increased significantly in line with maternal pregestational body mass index. Conclusion: The lowest SPX levels were found in the SGA babies and cord SPX level was significantly correlated with newborn length, weight, and head circumference.