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Influence of hyperbilirubinemia and phototherapy on markers of genotoxicity and apoptosis in full-term infants

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Abstract

Concerns of possible genotoxic effects of hyperbilirubinemia and phototherapy were raised from experimental and observational studies in neonates. This study aimed to assess the impact of hyperbilirubinemia and phototherapy on DNA damage and apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes in healthy full-term infants. This study was conducted in the Children’s Hospital, Mansoura University. Patients enrolled in this study were classified into three groups (each with 45 full-term infants): group 1 was composed of infants with hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy, group 2 infants with physiological jaundice not requiring phototherapy, and group 3 infants without clinical jaundice. All enrolled infants were subjected to assessment of DNA damage and apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes, using the comet assay and P53 by flow cytometry, consecutively. In group 1, measurements were done twice, before starting phototherapy and just before its discontinuation. DNA damage was not significantly different in the three groups, but it significantly increased after exposure to phototherapy compared to pre-phototherapy levels. There was no significant difference in P53 level in the three groups; however, it significantly increased after exposure to phototherapy. There were significant positive correlations between the duration of phototherapy and markers of DNA damage and apoptosis.

Conclusions: Hyperbilirubinemia does not influence DNA damage and apoptosis, whereas phototherapy causes DNA damage and induces apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes of full-term infants.

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Abbreviations

AAP:

American Academy of Pediatrics

LMPA:

Low melting point agarose

NMA:

Normal melting agarose

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

SCE:

Sister chromatid exchange

TSB:

Total serum bilirubin

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The authors have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Sohier Yahia, Abd Elazeez Shabaan & Hesham Abdel-Hady

  2. Genetic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University Children’s Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt

    Mona Gouida

  3. Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Doaa El-Ghanam

  4. Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Heba Eldegla

  5. Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Amal El-Bakary

  6. Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, 5 El-Gomhoria Street, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt

    Abd Elazeez Shabaan

Authors
  1. Sohier Yahia
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  2. Abd Elazeez Shabaan
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  3. Mona Gouida
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  4. Doaa El-Ghanam
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  5. Heba Eldegla
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  6. Amal El-Bakary
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  7. Hesham Abdel-Hady
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Correspondence to Abd Elazeez Shabaan.

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Communicated by Patrick Van Reempts

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Yahia, S., Shabaan, A.E., Gouida, M. et al. Influence of hyperbilirubinemia and phototherapy on markers of genotoxicity and apoptosis in full-term infants. Eur J Pediatr 174, 459–464 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-014-2418-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-014-2418-z

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