Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
THROMBOSIS RESEARCH, cilt.133, ss.590-591, 2014 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Background: Growth arrest-specific gene 6 (GAS6) was originally found as a gene upregulated by growth arrested fibroblasts in 1988. The protein encoded by this gene is called Gas6 and is 75- kDa molecular weight and consists of 678 aminoacids. Gas6 protein belongs to the family of plasma vitamin K-dependent proteins and is similar to the Protein S with the same domain organization and 44% amino acid identity. It plays an important role at survival and proliferation of many cell types such as endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, osteoclasts, epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Comprehensive reference value study for Gas6 is studied in adults, but there is not any study in the literature in newborns. Besides contribution to creating serum Gas6 reference values in newborns, we aimed to show the difference between Gas6 levels before and after vitamin K injection in different featured newborn groups, if existing. Methods: Samples from 80 newborn (40 term and 40 preterm) are studied. Platelet-free plasma was removed from blood samples taken from the cord blood just after the delivery and peripheral veins 48 hours after vitamin K injection. Gas6 levels were identified by ELISA. Results: Before vitamin K injection, Gas6 levels in preterm and term newborns were 9.07±5.30 ng/ml and 9.75±4.34 ng/ml respectively. After vitamin K injection, Gas6 levels in preterm and term newborns were 10.50±5.28 ng/ml and 9.12±3.42 ng/ml respectively. The difference between Gas6 levels before and after vitamin K injection was statistically significant in preterm newborns (p < 0.036). Before vitamin K injection, average Gas6 levels in newborns which have intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is 3.7±4.32 ng/ml. Besides, average Gas6 levels in newborns which are not diagnosed to IUGR is 9.76±4.71 ng/ml. This difference between these two groups is statistically significant (p = 0.012). Conclusions: Our study shows that, there is a statistically significant difference in Gas6 levels before and after vitamin K injection in preterm newborns (p < 0.05). We think this difference is originated from not only vitamin K injection but also from the defect in endothelial integrity disturbance in preterms.