Status of malondialdehyde, catalase and superoxide dismutase levels/activities in schoolchildren with iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia of Kashere and its environs in Gombe State, Nigeria.

Background: Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) or iron deficiency (ID) is by far the most common form of disorder affecting the cognitive development, physical growth and school performance of children in developing countries including Nigeria.

Objectives: In the present study, we aimed to examine whether IDA or ID, or both are associated with oxidative stress or otherwise by assessing the perturbations in oxidative stress markers including malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Methods: Here, a total of eighty-one IDA, ID, and healthy control subjects of twenty-seven replicates each, were recruited and investigated.