Relationship of antioxidant enzyme activities with myelomeningocele.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of erythrocyte free radical scavenging enzyme activities (FRSE), carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) in infants with myelomeningocele (MM).


METHODS
We compared antioxidant enzyme activities and MDA level in 40 individuals (10 infants with MM, 10 healthy infants; and mothers of these two groups) with age-matched subjects. Erythrocyte FRSE included catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione-S- transferase (GST).


RESULTS
CA, CAT, SOD, GPX and GST concentrations were lower in all of the infants with MM compared to healthy infants. The mothers of infants with MM also had lower CA, CAT, SOD, GPX and GST activities than healthy mothers. It was also found out that the MDA level as a marker of oxidative damage was higher in infants with MM and their mothers than in healthy infants and their mothers.


CONCLUSIONS
Lower FRSE activities indicate an increased frequency of MM. Free radicals (FRs) such as MDA may play a significant role in the etiology of MM.
Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Van, Turkey.
Mehmet
M
Arslan
Mehmet
M
Melek
Halit
H
Demir
Metehan
M
Eseoglu
Burhan Oral
BO
Gudu
Ismail
I
Demir
Cigdem
C
Cetin
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000378:metabolism; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D000094765:Glutathione Peroxidase GPX1; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2
D000975:Antioxidants; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases; D002374:Catalase; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D000094765:Glutathione Peroxidase GPX1; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2; C000606290:SOD1 protein, human; C000722067:GPX1 protein, human