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


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Cemek
Mustafa
M
Faculty of Science, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey. mcemek@yahoo.com
Dede
Semiha
S
Bayiroglu
Fahri
F
Caksen
Huseyin
H
Cemek
Fatma
F
Mert
Nihat
N
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D014815:Vitamins; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione