Variations in erythrocyte enzymatic activity in the first days of life
Berti, D.; Buonocore, G.; Hayek, Y.; Cito, G.; Ciccoli, L.
Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 57(12): 1340-1345
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-8771 PMID: 7295405 Document Number: 171889
The erythrocyte activities of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase and glucose phosphate isomerase decrease during the first days of life. Furthermore the level of these enzymatic activities is higher in newborn infants with higher percentage of carboxyhemoglobin. It is likely that a premature and rapid fall of reticulocytes causes a decrease in enzymatic activities sensitive to aging and that the higher hemolysis can represent a disappearance of oldest erythrocytes which present lower enzymatic activities. These data therefore confirm the block in erythropoiesis in the first hours of life.