title: Changes in oxidative stress and cellular immunity serum markers in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder with an etiopathogeny not fully understood. According to the prevailing view, the main factors contributing to the disorder are prefrontal dopamine deficiency and central dopaminergic dysfunction, but the factors/mechanisms involved in the brain dysfunction and its consequences are not well known. We suggest that changes in oxidative metabolism and cellular immunity may be involved. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there are associations between ADHD and changes in serum levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), xanthine oxidase (XO), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activities, which are important markers of oxidative stress, and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity, marker of cellular immunity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample consisted of 35 child or adolescent patients diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Thirty-five healthy subjects were also included in the study as controls. Venous blood samples were collected, and NOS, XO, GST, PON-1 and ADA activities were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NOS, XO and ADA activities of the patients were significantly higher than those of the controls. GST and PON-1 activities of the patients were significantly lower than those of the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in oxidative metabolism and cellular immunity may have a role in the etiopathogenesis of ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr Sami Ulus Children's Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. fatihceylan80@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mehmet Fatih
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ceylan
authors.forename: Sahnur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sener
authors.forename: Aslihan Cavunt
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bayraktar
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kavutcu
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase