Reduced antioxidant capacity in children with iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GSH-R), and paraoxonase (PON1) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and investigate susceptibility to atherosclerosis with decreasing antioxidant capacity in adolescent patients with iron deficiency (ID) and irondeficiency anemia (IDA).

Material And Methods: Twenty-five patients with IDA (14.9±1.8 years; 14 female and 11 male patients), 25 patients with ID (14.1±2.24 years; 13 female and 12 male patients) and 21 healthy controls (14.04±2.01 years; 11 female and 10 male individuals) were included in the study. Serum PON1, GSH-Px, GSH-R, and CIMT were measured in all cases. After 3-month oral iron therapy for the group with IDA, the same measurements were performed again.

Results: CIMT was statistically significantly higher in patients with ID and IDA than in the control group (p<0.05). PON1, GSH-Px, and GSH-R activities decreased and were statistically significantly low in patients with IDA compared to the control group (p<0.05). Serum PON1 activity was statistically significantly lower in patients with ID than in the control group (p<0.05). Post-treatment PON1, GSH-Px, and GSH-R activities in patients with IDA got back to normal and were statistically significantly higher compared to pre-treatment values.

Conclusions: Antioxidant capacity decreases in patients with IDA and ID, which causes atherosclerotic changes. Therefore, patients with iron deficiency must be treated without the development of iron-deficiency anemia.