Evaluation of oxidative stress in autism: defective antioxidant enzymes and increased lipid peroxidation.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood with poorly understood etiology and pathology. This pilot study aims to evaluate the levels of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, in Egyptian autistic children. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood with poorly understood etiology and pathology.

Homocysteine and oxidative stress in Egyptian children with Down syndrome.

Objective: To assess homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12, trace element levels and oxidant/antioxidant status in Down syndrome (DS) mothers and children.

Design And Methods: 42 mothers with previous history of bearing DS baby with karyotypically confirmed full trisomy 21 were included. 48 healthy mothers with their healthy children were considered as control.

MTHFR genetic polymorphism as a risk factor in Egyptian mothers with Down syndrome children.

Recent reports linking Down syndrome (DS) to maternal polymorphisms at the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene locus have generated great interest among investigators in the field. The present study aimed at evaluation of MTHFR 677C/T and 1298A/C polymorphisms in the MTHFR gene as maternal risk factors for DS. Forty two mothers of proven DS outcomes and forty eight control mothers with normal offspring were included.