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.