Thiol-Disulfide Homeostasis in Neonatal Patients with Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

Objective Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a disease that can cause significant complications in the neonatal period. The thiol-disulfide homeostasis is one of the important antioxidant defense mechanisms. The purpose of this study is to show the relationship between UTI and thiol-disulfide homeostasis in newborns. Study Design In this prospective study, 40 newborns with UTI and 40 healthy controls were included. Thiol-disulfide tests (disulfide, native thiol, and total thiol levels) and septic screening tests were performed before and after antibiotherapy in UTI group. The control group was selected from healthy newborns who applied to the outpatient clinic. Results The C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels were higher, while native thiol and native thiol/total thiol ratio were significantly lower in pretreatment group compared with post-treatment and control group. Also, the levels of disulfide, ischemia modified albumin, disulfide/native thiol ratio, and disulfide/total thiol ratio were higher in pretreatment group compared with post-treatment group. Conclusion The thiol-disulfide homeostasis is an important indicator of oxidative stress during infections. It is valuable to be detected with small amounts of serum in newborns. These molecules can be used to support the diagnosis of UTI in the newborn. Further studies are needed to define the role of thiol-disulfide homeostasis in the UTI of newborn. Key Points