ABSTRACT
To asses free radical activation products and antioxidant status in children with 1DDM, serum levels of lipid peroxides [LP], selenium and red blood cell glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px] were measured in 26 diabetic children : they were 17 with micro albuminuria and 9 without micro albuminuria. Ten apparently healthy children of matched age and sex represented the control group. Diabetic children had significantly higher levels of LP [3.49 +/- 0.64] versus [2.65 +/- 33] and lower levels of serum selenium [118.27 +/- 28.7] versus [174.90 +/- 31.06] and red blood cell GSH-Px [19.70 +/- 5.48] versus [37.37 +/- 6.04] as compared with the control group. Diabetic children with micro-albuminuria had significantly higher levels of LP [3.82 +/- 0.45] versus [2.85 +/- 0.43] and non significant lower levels of serum selenium [113.29 +/- 30.21] versus [127.67 +/- 24.45] and red blood cell GSH - Px [18.39 +/- 5.88] versus [22.17 +/- 3.76] when compared with the levels of diabetic children without micro albuminuria. Positive significant correlation was found between levels of LP and levels of fasting blood sugar while negative significant correlation was found with the levels of red blood cell GSH. Px. We concluded that the imbalance between generation of free radicals and antioxidant status is act uncommon in diabetic children and this imbalance may have a role in early microvascular disorders occurring in the disease