Background Perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic damage to the central nervous system takes a leading place in the structure of morbidity in children of the first year of life and is the most frequent cause of the early disability. Therefore, it is extremely topical to search for new specific biomarkers in order to determine the approach to treatment and monitoring of outcomes of the cerebral pathology in children.

Aim To determine the clinical and diagnostic value of NR2 antibodies content to a peptide fragment of NMDA receptors (NR2 peptide) in blood serum of children with perinatal cerebral ischemia of severity level II–III.

Methods 28 children with the perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic brain damage were examined: 12 newborn infants with cerebral ischemia (CI) of severity level I (Group 1) and 16 newborn infants with CI of severity level II–III (Group 2). The control group was comprised of 10 healthy children born by women with the physiological course of pregnancy and delivery. Blood serum obtained by means of centrifugation was used as a material. The study was made in the early neonatal period and at the age of 1 month of life. The concentration of NR2 antibodies in blood serum was determined by means of ELISA technique using commercial kits (Gold Dot NR2 Antibody test, USA). Statistical data processing was performed by means of “Statistica-6” program using basic methods of descriptive statistics and nonparametric methods (Mann–Whitney U test and Wilcoxon test).

Results In the early neonatal period, NR2 antibodies content in blood serum of children of Group 1 with CI of severity level I amounted to Me=1.17 ng/ml and did not differ from the control values (Me=0.82 ng/ml, p > 0.05), at the same time newborns of Group 2 with CI of severity level II-III had a significant increase of this index as compared with the control group (Me=1.23 ng/ml, p < 0.05). Over time, a significant reduction in the serum concentration of NR2 antibodies (p < 0.05) was registered in children with CI of severity level II-III against the background of the multicomponent therapy at the age of 1 month as compared with initial values.

Conclusions Determination of NR2 antibodies content in blood serum of children with perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic brain damages can be considered as a promising laboratory criterion for evaluation of the severity level of cerebral disorders in newborns.