Imbalance between free radical propagation and antioxidant status in children with nephrotic syndrome

ABSTRACT

Oxygen radicals have been implicated in a variety of disease processes including nephrotic syndrome. In this study we investigated the free radical activation products and antioxidant status in children with nephrotic syndrome compared with a control group. Serum lipid peroxides [LP] and selenium levels and red blood cell glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px] and superoxide dismutase [SOD] activities were measured in 35 children [28 males and 7 females] with nephrotic syndrome. Similar number of apparently healthy children with appropriate age and sex were used as a control group. Children with nephrotic syndrome had significantly higher levels of LP [3.37 +/- 0.5 nmol/ml] and lower levels of serum selenium [150 +/- 35 ug/L] and red blood cell GSH- Px and SOD [32.6 +/- 7.8 U/g Hb and 1116 +/- 151 U/g Hb respectively] when compared with the corresponding levels of the control group [2.53 +/- 0.6 nmol/ml, 230 +/- 43 ug/L, 51.8 +/- 13.8 U/g Hb and 1422 +/- 277 U/g Hb respectively]. We concluded that imbalance between generation of oxygen radicals and antioxidant status may have etiological implications for nephrotic syndrome