Alteration of thiol-disulphide homeostasis in acute tonsillopharyngitis.
OBJECTIVE
Thiol-disulphide homeostasis (TDH) has a critical role in various clinical disorders. We aimed to assess the association of TDH with acute tonsillopharyngitis (AT) in children.


METHODS
This study included 94 (73 viral and 21 bacterial) tonsillopharyngitis patients and 88 control children. Their native thiol, total thiol, and disulphide levels were measured.


RESULTS
Viral and bacterial tonsillopharyngitis patients had lower native thiol levels compared with healthy children (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively). Both groups had lower total thiol levels compared with control children (P = 0.002 for viral, P = 0.011 for bacterial). The disulphide levels were lower in bacterial than in viral tonsillopharyngitis patients (P = 0.04), and there was a significant difference between viral tonsillopharyngitis patients and the control group (P < 0.001). The native/total thiol ratio in each patient group was lower than in the control group (P < 0.001 for viral, P = 0.017 for bacterial). The disulphide/native thiol and disulphide/total thiol ratios were significantly higher in viral (P < 0.001 for both) and bacterial tonsillopharyngitis patients (P = 0.017 for both) than in healthy children. In all patients, a correlation was found between the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and native thiol (r = -0.211, P = 0.04), CRP and total thiol (r = -0.217, P = 0.036), white blood cell (WBC) and native thiol (r = -0.228, P = 0.002), WBC and total thiol (r = -0.191, P = 0.01), and WBC and disulphide (r = 0.160, P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
TDH is altered in AT in children. The alteration is more prominent in viral than in bacterial tonsillopharyngitis.
a Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Gazi University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Soner Sertan
SS
Kara
b Department of Biochemistry , Yildirim Beyazit University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Ozcan
O
Erel
a Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Gazi University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Tugba Bedir
TB
Demirdag
a Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Gazi University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Burcu Ceylan
BC
Cura Yayla
c Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Ankara Hematology Oncology Children's Training and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Belgin
B
Gulhan
b Department of Biochemistry , Yildirim Beyazit University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Salim
S
Neselioglu
a Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Gazi University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Meltem
M
Polat
d Department of Pediatrics , Gazi University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Gokhan
G
Kalkan
a Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Gazi University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Anil
A
Tapisiz
a Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Gazi University Medical Faculty , Ankara , Turkey.
Hasan
H
Tezer
D000293:Adolescent; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004220:Disulfides / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology
D004220:Disulfides; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
Acute tonsillopharyngitis; Children; Thiol-disulphide homeostasis