Oxidant and antioxidant status in children with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

We analyzed serum alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, retinol, and ascorbic acid levels and malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione concentrations on erythrocyte and cerebrospinal fluid in 30 patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis to evaluate oxidant and antioxidant status. Serum alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, retinol, ascorbic acid levels, and erythrocyte and cerebrospinal fluid reduced glutathione concentrations were decreased; however, erythrocyte and cerebrospinal fluid malondialdehyde levels were increased in the patients. Cerebrospinal fluid malondialdehyde levels were different between clinical stages of the disease (P < .05). Higher cerebrospinal fluid malondialdehyde level was associated with the more severe clinical stage. A positive correlation was found between cerebrospinal fluid malondialdehyde level and clinical stages (r = 0.42; P < .05) and between erythrocyte malondialdehyde level and clinical stages (r = 0.40; P < .05). Our findings showed presence of oxidative damage in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and that antioxidants were increased as defense mechanisms of the organism against oxidative damage.

Altered antioxidant status and increased lipid peroxidation in children with acute gastroenteritis admitted to a pediatric emergency service.

Acute gastroenteritis is a common illness worldwide and has a great impact on children. Our aim was to examine possible alterations in the antioxidant defense in pediatric gastroenteritis. To comprehensively examine the reaction of the antioxidant system, all possible components of the system were measured. The whole blood malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione, serum beta-carotene, retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, catalase, ceruloplasmin, albumin, total bilirubin, uric acid, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase levels were studied. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase antioxidant enzyme activities and malondialdehyde levels were found to be increased; however, beta-carotene, retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, reduced glutathione, and albumin levels were observed to be significantly decreased. Catalase activity remained unchanged, whereas some of the other non-enzymatic antioxidants such as ceruloplasmin, total bilirubin, and uric acid levels were increased compared to the control group. We have shown an association between antioxidant levels and gastroenteritis in children. Further study is needed to assess whether antioxidant supplementation will be beneficial as an adjunct to conventional relevant therapy of the disease.

Oxidant and non-enzymatic antioxidant status in measles.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease of childhood associated with serious complications and significant morbidity and mortality. In the present study, antioxidant and oxidant status was investigated in children with measles. Our aim was to evaluate the possible changes in non-enzymatic antioxidant levels and their relationship to the oxidative stress in measles. According to our knowledge, there are no data about the blood levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and vitamin C in measles. We measured the whole blood MDA (as a marker of lipid peroxidation) and GSH, and serum beta-carotene, retinol, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid levels in all subjects. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups for all parameters (p < 0.05). Non-enzymatic antioxidant status was found to be decreased but, lipid peroxidation was increased in the study group. As a conclusion, these findings suggested that oxidant and antioxidant defence system were altered in children with measles.

Relationship between antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress in children with acute hepatitis A.

AIM: To investigate in children with acute hepatitis A. According to our knowledge, there are no data about the blood levels of malondialdehyde (MDA, an indicator of oxidative stress) and nonenzymic antioxidants in children with acute hepatitis A. METHODS: Whole blood MDA and reduced glutathione (GSH), serum beta-carotene, retinol, vitamin E and vitamin C levels were studied in 19 (10 females, 9 males) children with acute hepatitis A and in 29 (13 females, 16 males) healthy control subjects. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between patients and controls for all parameters (P < 0.05). Lipid peroxidation marker MDA was significantly elevated (P < 0.001), while antioxidants beta-carotene, retinol and GSH were significantly decreased (all P < 0.001) in patients compared to healthy subjects. In addition, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid levels were significantly lower in patients when compared to age and sex matched controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that hepatitis A virus induces oxidative stress in children with hepatitis A. This finding could be taken into consideration to improve the therapeutic approach in acute hepatitis A.

Oxidative stress and enzymic-non-enzymic antioxidant responses in children with acute pneumonia.

In this article, oxidative stress and enzymic-non-enzymic antioxidants status were investigated in children with acute pneumonia. Our study included 28 children with acute pneumonia and 29 control subjects. The age ranged from 2 to 11 years (4.57+/-2.13 years) and 2 to 12 years (4.89+/-2.22 years) in the study and control groups, respectively. Whole blood malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), serum beta-carotene, retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, catalase (CAT), ceruloplasmin (CLP), total bilirubin, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels were studied in all subjects. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups for all parameters except for serum CAT. Whole blood MDA, serum CLP and total bilirubin levels were higher in the study group than those of the control group. However, SOD, GPx, beta-carotene, retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E and GSH levels were lower in the study group compared with the control group. All antioxidant vitamin activities were decreased in children with acute pneumonia. Our study demonstrated that oxidative stress was increased whereas enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidant activities were significantly decreased in children with acute pneumonia.

Anti-oxidant activity in measles.

BACKGROUND: Measles leads to serious complications, especially in developing countries. AIM: Our aim was to evaluate the effect of oxidative stress on the enzymatic and non-enzymatic anti-oxidant status in children with measles. METHODS: Levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, ceruloplasmin, albumin, total bilirubin and uric acid were studied in 17 children with measles and 29 healthy controls. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups for all parameters. All of the anti-oxidant activities except for albumin level were increased in the study group. Both enzymatic and nonenzymatic anti-oxidant defence systems were affected in measles.

Oxidant and antioxidant levels in children with acute otitis media and tonsillitis: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: Recurrent episodes of acute otitis media (AOM) and acute tonsillitis (AT) are a common problem in infectious disorders during childhood and are major cause of morbidity in children. The organism maintains defense systems including nonenzymatic antioxidants such as Vitamins A, E and C and reduced glutathione (GSH) against reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study, lipid peroxidation status and nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity were investigated in children with AOM and AT. Our aim was to compare the lipid peroxidation and responses of the body's antioxidant status in the closely associated infections such as AOM and acute tonsillitis. METHODS: The study included 23 (14 males, 9 females) children with AOM, 27 (14 males, 13 females) with AT and 29 (16 males, 13 females) healthy control subjects. The ages of the study and control subjects were between 2 and 7 years. Serum beta-carotene, retinol, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and whole blood malondialdehyde (MDA) (as an indicator of lipid peroxidation) and GSH levels were studied in all subjects. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups for all parameters (P<0.05). All of the antioxidant vitamins such as beta-carotene, retinol, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C levels were observed to be significantly decreased in the both patient groups. Nevertheless, GSH levels were also decreased in the patient groups. MDA levels were found to be higher in children with AOM and AT than in the healthy control subjects. When compared the AOM and AT groups, there was statistically significant difference between the groups for whole blood MDA (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Even though they seem to react in a similar way against ROS, in the cases of AOM and AT, it is possible to see the different approaches in these tissues for the oxidative stress.

Investigation of antioxidant status in children with acute otitis media and tonsillitis.

OBJECTIVE: Antioxidant enzymes status was investigated in children with acute otitis media (AOM) and acute tonsillitis. The aim was to determine the effect of oxidative damage due to free radicals on the antioxidant enzymes status in children with AOM and acute tonsillitis. METHODS: We measured erythrocyte levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and activity of serum catalase, ceruloplasmin, albumin and total bilirubin in 23 children with AOM, 27 with acute tonsillitis and 17 control subjects. RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference between the groups for all parameters. All antioxidant activities except for albumin level were increased in the studies groups. When the values of AOM and acute tonsillitis were compared, there was statistically significant difference between the groups for erythrocyte GPx. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that not only a few antioxidant enzymes but almost all antioxidant activities showed a significant enhancement in children with AOM and acute tonsillitis.