title: Effect of enteral nutrition on antioxidant enzyme systems and inflammation in paediatric Crohn's disease.
abstract: Crohn's disease is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, which can be successfully treated with enteral nutrition. In this study, the activities of the antioxidant metalloenzymes copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and selenium-glutathione peroxidase (Se-GPx) were determined in erythrocyte lysates from children with Crohn's disease. Both enzymes exhibited significantly lower activities relative to healthy control subjects: 1.55 +/- 0.33 vs 2.13 +/- 0.75 SOD U mg(-1) protein (p < 0.025) for Cu/Zn-SOD, and 61.9 +/- 17.7 vs 93.6 +/- 28.7 mU mg(-1) protein (p < 0.01) for Se-GPx. Treatment of patients with a specific polymeric diet, CT3211, for a period of 8 wk did not significantly alter the activities of the enzymes. In contrast, clinically, enteral nutritional therapy induced a remission in 13/14 children, and a significant fall in both median serum C-reactive protein and mean serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results imply that the anti-inflammatory action of enteral nutrition in Crohn's disease is caused by a mechanism other than restitution of these antioxidant enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, University of North London, UK.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Phylactos
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Fasoula
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arnaud-Battandier
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Walker-Smith
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase