Impacts of phototherapy on DNA damage and total oxidant/ antioxidant status in jaundiced newborns

Abstract

Jaundice is common in newborn babies, and pathologic hyperbilirubinemia isfrequently treated with phototherapy. Although it is considered to be safe, theside effects of phototherapy in newborns are still a matter of debate. In thisstudy, the impacts of two types of phototherapy, conventional fluorescenceand intensive light-emitting diodes (LED), on DNA damage and total oxidant/antioxidant status in jaundiced newborns were assessed. The study groupincluded 40 newborns (gestation age ≥ 37 weeks) on days 2–8 after birth.Newborns were divided into two groups on the basis of need for phototherapy:20 newborns were exposed to conventional phototherapy (Group I); and 20infants were exposed to intensive phototherapy (Group II). Blood sampleswere taken from all infants at admission and after phototherapy to determineplasma 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine (8-OH-dG; a marker of DNA damage),total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The oxidativestress index (OSI) was also calculated. Demographic information was recorded,and DNA damage, TOS, and TAC were compared. There were no differences indemographic information between the two groups. There were no significantdifferences in DNA damage, TOS, TAC, and OSI between Groups I and II beforephototherapy (p > 0.05) and no significant differences in DNA damage, TOS,TAC, and OSI between the two groups after phototherapy (p > 0.05). However,the TAC decreased significantly in both groups after phototherapy (p < 0.01).These findings suggest that conventional and intensive phototherapies do notaffect DNA damage and oxidative stress, supporting the safety of its use as thepreferred treatment for jaundiced newborns.