title: All glutathione forms are depleted in blood of obese and type 1 diabetic children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), where an increase in reactive oxygen species may contribute to the initial destruction of β-cells. Accumulating evidence also suggests a role for oxidative stress in obesity, where it may potentiate the development of complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the in vivo homeostasis of glutathione in children with T1D at onset and in children who are obese, to evaluate the systemic content of all glutathione forms (total, reduced, oxidized, and protein-bound glutathione) and the balance among them. Moreover, since glutathione bound to hemoglobin is a clinical marker of oxidative stress in human blood, we analyzed glutathionyl-hemoglobin in T1D and in obese children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with T1D at onset (n = 30) or obesity (n = 30) at the first observation, and 30 healthy subjects chosen from the children who attended the outpatient clinic for minor problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed circulating levels of various glutathione forms by performing reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Glutathionyl-hemoglobin analysis was carried out by cation-exchange chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In children with T1D and in obese children, we found a significant decrease of all glutathione forms including, for the first time, the content of total glutathione and glutathionylated proteins. The comparison among forms shows no significant imbalance in T1D patients, whereas in obese children it seems to suggest an attempt to rebalance the glutathione system homeostasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings consistently show in vivo evidence of glutathione depletion upon early onset of T1D and in obese children, thus evidencing glutathione as an early marker in these two metabolic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Children's Hospital and Research Institute "Bambino Gesù", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciampalini
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tozzi
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pecorelli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Passarelli
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertini
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piemonte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood*; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; C404464:glutathionyl hemoglobin; D005978:Glutathione