Imbalance between free radical propagation and some antioxidants in patients with cataract

The relation of oxidative stress to the occurrence of cataract remains to be undetermined and must be clarified. So, the aim of this work was to study the effect of O2-free radical and some antioxidants in the pathogenesis of senile and diabetic cataract. This work was carried on 30 patients and 10 healthy subjects as control. They were 23 males and 17 females. Their ages ranged from 50 to 64 years. Patients were classified into senile cataract, diabetic without cataract and diabetic cataract groups. Each group included 10 patients. The results of this work showed that, in patients with senile cataract, were non-significant increase of fasting serum glucose [FSG] and serum total bilirubin [serum T. bilirubin] compared with the control group. Serum lipid peroxide [S. LP] and serum ceruloplasmin [S. Cp] were. significantly increased [P<0.05] while plasma superoxide dismutase [SOD] and serum uric acid were significantly decreased [P<0.05] compared with the control group. Moreover, diabetic patients with and without cataract showed a significant increase of FSG, S. total bilirubin. S. LP, S. Cp, and S. uric acid [P<0.05] while plasma SOD was significantly decreased [P<0.05] compared with the control group. Comparative study of the diabetic cataract versus senile cataract and diabetic without cataract, our results showed a significant increase of FSG, S. LP, S. total bilirubin and S. Cp, while there was significant decrease of plasma SOD in diabetic cataract compared with both senile cataract and diabetic without cataract [P1<0.05 and P2<0.05], respectively. S. uric acid was significantly increased in diabetic cataract compared with senile cataract group [P1<0.05] while it was non-significantly increased compared with diabetic without cataract group. Also, aqueous humor study of diabetic cataract group versus senile cataract group showed that LP and uric acid were significantly increased [P<0.05] while SOD was significantly decreased [P<0.05]. Correlation study revealed that, age was significantly and positively correlated with LP, but negatively correlated with SOD both in serum and aqueous in all patient groups. FSG was significantly and directly correlated with serum and aqueous LP, uric acid, S. total bilirubin, and S. Cp in diabetics with and without cataract. Moreover, serum and aqueous LP was significantly and inversely correlated with serum and aqueous SOD in all patient groups, while, it was positively correlated with S. total bilirubin, and S. Cp in diabetics with and without cataract. We could conclude that the imbalance between generation of O2-free radical and plasma SOD may have an etiological implication in the occurrence of cataract

Insight on the relation between maternal derangement of homocysteine metabolism and their offsprings with contruncal heart defects

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of maternal derangement of homocysteine [Hcys] metabolism and their children with contruncal heart diseases. The fasting plasma levels of Hcys, folic acid and vitamin B12 were measured by radioassay techinque. The study consisted of 22 mothers of 22 off springs having contruncal heart defects [Pre-treatment group] and 22 healthy mothers having healthy offsprings as administrated a commercially avaliable multivitamin supplementation, and plasma Hcys level, in pre-treatment group. The study revealed a mean fasting plasma Hcys level, in pre-treatment group, of 13.17 +/- 2.63 micro mol/l, and 11 +/- 1.81micro mol/l in post-treatment group and 9.71 +/- 1.63 micro mol/l in control group, there was a statistically significant difference between all studied groups. Also, there was a positive significant correlation between maternal age and Hcys plasma level, and a negative significant correlation between fasting plasma levels of Hcys, folate, and vitamin B12. In conclusion, this study showed a significant increase of fasting plasma Hcys level in mothers having offersprings with contruncal heart defects and that multivitamin supplementation would decrease this level