Serum aspirin esterase activity in cord blood and in adults

Abstract

There is scarce information about altered aspirin – esterase (AE) activities in various physiological and pathological states, as well as the putative agents modulating this activity. Since there are no data on AE levels in cord blood, we set up this study to measure its activity in neonates' cord blood and in adults, using an optimized technique developed in our laboratory. We performed a case-control study with 28 newborns, and control adult subjects were selected from a healthy population of hospital workers. Aspirin esterase activity in cord blood was 60 ± 12 nmol/mL/min vs 87 ± 12 nmol/mL/min in adults, p < 0.00001. No correlation of AE activity and HDL cholesterol, HDL/LDL cholesterol or paraoxonase 1 was found. Aspirin esterase correlated significantly with serum cholinesterase: r = 0.86 p < 0.0001, which was also 30% ower in cord blood than in adults. We show here, for the first time, that cord blood serum has a significant aspirin esterase activity, even though is its 40% lower than that found in adults. Our data provide baseline information for future studies on the physiology of aspirin esterase in children and the factors that modulate its activity to reach adult levels.

Aspirin esterase(s) – Much known, more to learn

“…In all probability, therefore, neither the plasma nor the erythrocyte aspirin esterase has attained optimal or full catalytic activity in the neonates. We do not know the rate of development of one relative to the other; and neither Windorfer et al [20] nor Gugliucci et al [21] measured aspirin esterase activities in blood and plasma (serum) in the same sample. In the absence of such data the relative contribution of the cellular and plasma (serum) enzymes to aspirin esterase activity in whole blood of the newborn will remain a matter of conjecture.…”

“…Their data suggest that aspirin esterase activity in fullterm neonates is about 83% that in adults. In this issue, Gugliucci et al [21] reported that serum aspirin esterase activity in the newborn (n = 28) is about 69% that in adults (n = 30). Notwithstanding the use of different measures of aspirin esterase activity in these studies, it could be accepted as factual that neonatal plasma aspirin esterase activity is much lower than that in whole blood.…”

“…Gugliucci et al [21], prompted by a report that enhanced plasma acetylsalicylic acid degradation in type 2 diabetics was modulated by plasma cholesterol, also provide information on paraoxonase in neonate. They confirmed what we currently know about paraoxonase in newborn of non-diabetics; and that is welcome and useful.…”

“…There is currently no data on aspirin esterase activity and pseudo cholinesterase activity in the same serum sample from neonates. On this score, one cannot help but wonder whether the absence of data on pseudo cholinesterase in the neonates studied by Gugliucci et al [21] is not a rather high opportunity cost for their confirmation of already available information on paraoxonase levels in neonates.…”