Study of cord blood ischemia modifi ed albumin levels in the evaluation of birth asphyxia

Abstract

Soumyadeep Biswas, Pinaki Sarkar, Indranil Chakraborty, Sibarjun Ghosh, Ramesh Chandra Halder

Objective: In the birth asphyxia several new biochemical markers are now investigated. Recent studies indicate the role of ischemia modified albumin (IMA), a biomarker determined by assay of cobalt binding activity of albumin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of IMA in birth asphyxia. Materials and Methods: Forty newborns with Apgar score <7 were selected at random. Low-birth weight, premature and newborns from caesarian section were excluded. IMA was determined by assay of its cobalt binding activity with spectrophotometer. Mothers with a history of preeclampsia and pre-existing renal disease were kept out of the study. Similar observations were made in 40 normal newborns taken as control. Results: Cord blood IMA levels were higher in asphyxiated newborns compared to controls (55.7 ± 1.7 U/ml compared with 32.44 ± 1.15 U/ml). Raised levels of IMA in those subjects had shown very significant correlations with the Apgar score of 5 min, a finding also observed in the case of controls. Conclusion: The findings of the current study indicate that IMA can be a very useful marker in the evaluation of birth asphyxia.