Alpay Cakmak

DNA damage in children with asthma bronchiale and its association with oxidative and antioxidative measurements

Increased production of reactive oxygen species leading to an imbalance between the oxidative forces and the antioxidant defense systems favoring an oxidative injury has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. The aim of the study was to investigate the peripheral DNA damage, and its association with oxidative and antioxidative measurements in children with asthma bronchiale. The study population contained 42 children with asthma bronchiale and 32 healthy controls. DNA damage was assessed by alkaline comet assay in peripheral lymphocytes. Plasma levels of total antioxidant status (TAS), total peroxide concentration (LOOHs), and total oxidant status (TOS) were determined. In asthma bronchiale patients, DNA damage was significantly higher than in controls (17.9 ± 11.8 AU vs. 1.2 ± 2.0 AU, p < 0.001). Plasma TOS and LOOHs were higher in patients than in healthy controls (13.4 ± 7.0 vs. 9.0 ± 3.5, p = 0.002; 9.9 ± 3.4 vs. 4.4 ± 1.5, p < 0.001, respectively). Plasma TAS level in patients was higher than in healthy controls (5.5 ± 2.5 vs. 1.0 ± 0.6, p < 0.001). DNA damage was correlated with TOS (r = 0,616, p < 0.001). The findings indicated that lymphocyte DNA damage level increases in children with asthma bronchiale. Elevated DNA damage may be related to increased oxidative stress. However, the mechanism of this association, and whether it is direct or indirect, remains to be explored.

Paraoxonase and arylesterase activity with oxidative status in children with thalassemia major.

Purpose The aim of this study was to study paraoxonase and arylesterase activities along with oxidative status parameters, and to find out whether there is any increased susceptibility to atherogenesis, which might be reflected with increased oxidative stress and decreased serum paraoxonase/arylesterase activity in β-thalassemia major (BTM) patients. Patients and Methods Eighty-seven patients with BTM and 33 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Results Paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were significantly lower in BTM patients than controls (for all P<0.0001), whereas total oxidant status, total peroxide concentration levels, and oxidative stress index were significantly higher (P<0.0001, <0.0001, and <0.001, respectively). Correlations were found between serum iron and ferritin and levels of total oxidant status in BTM patients. Significant correlation was found with serum total peroxide concentration levels and paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in patients with BTM. Conclusions It was seen that oxidative stress increases, while serum paraoxonase activity is decreased in BTM patients. Decrease in paraoxonase activity seems to be associated with both the degree of oxidative stress and anemia. BTM patients may be more prone to development of atherogenesis because of low serum paraoxonase/arylesterase activity.

Phthiriasis Palpebrarum in an Infant

The authors describe a case of phthiriasis palpebrarum embedded in the right upper eyelid of a 9-month-old male infant. The patient was successfully treated with mechanical removal of all lice and nits from the eyelashes. In children, phthiriasis palpebrarum should be considered in the differential diagnosis of blepharoconjunctivitis that is resistant to treatment.

Severe osteoporosis and high level TSH in a child before the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Osteoporosis in children is rare and mostly secondary to such conditions as prolonged immobilization, malabsorption syndromes, corticosteroid excess, osteogenesis imperfecta, celiac disease, Turner syndrome, and malignancy. Idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis (IJO) is a very rare condition of primary bone demineralization that presents in childhood. IJO, a disease of unknown etiology, manifests typically by pain, bone deformities, and fractures. Diagnosis of IJO was made by excluding other common causes of osteoporosis in this age. Bisphosphonates, calcitriol, fluoride, and calcitonin have been administered therapeutically, but the results were equivocal. Usually the disease remits by itself. Patient that has serious osteoporosis and high thyroid stimulating hormone level was diagnosed as IJO by eliminating secondary reasons. We report this case, whose symptoms were disappeared after parenteral pamidronat treatment, and he was reexamined owing to anemia and trombositopenia, and diagnosed as B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, just to emphasis the importance of close follow-ups of IJO patients.

The effects of taekwondo training on oxidative stress levels in children.

Kronik egzersiz, sahip olduğu ikili etkiyle oksidan oluşumunu ve oksidatif stresi ortaya çıkarırken, bir yandan da antioksidan maddelerin sentezini artırmaktadır (1). Fiziksel egzersizin hücre içi sinyal iletimi, apoptozis, antimikrobiyal savunma, kas hasarı ve yorgunluğu, yaşlanma, ateroskleroz, miyokard infarktüsü ve iskemi/reperfüzyon hasarı gibi hem fizyolojik hem de patolojik süreçlerdeki rolü bilinen oksidan/antioksidan dengenin değişmesine yol açtığı bildirilmektedir (2). Fiziksel egzersiz metabolik aktivite ve oksijen tüketiminde artışla karakterlidir. Oksijen tüketimindeki bu artışa reaktif oksijen türlerinin oluşumunda önemli bir artış eşlik eder. Egzersiz sırasında meydana gelen birçok fizyolojik ve biyokimyasal değişikliklerden reaktif oksijen türlerindeki bu büyük artışın sorumlu olabileceği düşünülmektedir (3, 4). Organizma, serbest radikal hasarını en aza indirgemek üzere hücre içi, hücre membranları ve ekstrasellüler sıvıları içine alan karmaşık bir antioksidan savunma sistemine sahiptir (5-7). Oksidan koşullarda redoks dengesinin sürdürülmesi stratejisi içerisinde, antioksidanların vücudun bütün bölümlerine transportunu sağlayan kan, merkezi bir role sahiptir. Total antioksidan statü (TAS), biyolojik sıvılarda mevcut antioksidanların membranları ve diğer hücresel bileşenleri oksidatif hasara karşı koruma kapasitesinin bir göstergesi olarak kabul edilmektedir (8).