title: Serum superoxide dismutase activity in acute and chronic paediatric liver diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Measuring serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in infants and children having acute or chronic liver disease of different aetiologies, and correlating these levels with disease aetiology in an attempt to clarify the role of SOD as an antioxidant in these diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively enrolled 58 infants and children and divided them into four groups: Group I, 24 patients with surgical cholestasis; group II, 11 patients with medical cholestasis; group III, nine patients with autoimmune chronic hepatitis; and group IV, 14 patients with viral hepatitis. Forty healthy age- and sex-matched children served as controls. Serum SOD activity was measured in all patients and controls using spectrophotometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of SOD showed a statistically significant increase in patients with medical cholestasis compared to healthy controls (p<0.0001). SOD activity of other groups showed no significant difference compared to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significantly increased serum SOD in infants and children with medical cholestasis is probably consequent to its increase in liver tissue in response to the liberation of reactive oxygen species. This suggests that products of free radical reactions might be involved in the pathogenesis and/or progression of medical cholestasis, and that SOD might attempt to minimise the liver injury.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Hepatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mortada Hassan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: El-Shabrawi
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Hepatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: Nagla.kamal@kasralainy.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Naglaa Mohamed
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Fawzi A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Halawa
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Department, National Liver Institute, Menoufya University, Menoufya, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Guindi
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Department, National Liver Institute, Menoufya University, Menoufya, Egypt.
authors.forename: Gihan Ahmed
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Sobhy
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000201:enzymology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: Liver disease; Medical cholestasis; Oxidative stress; Superoxide dismutase; Surgical cholestasis